Volume 103: Akka 1868–1892 year unknown, Part I (4 of 5)
BH00489: The Most Great Book of God speaketh and saith…
Section 1: “The Most Great Book of God speaketh…”
He is the Hidden, the Manifest, the One Who speaketh forth in this very hour.
The Most Great Book of God speaketh and saith:
“O concourse of earth! Fear God, and follow not the idle fancies of those who have denied the grace of Him Who hath sent Me down, and made Me a herald of His Name and a chanter of His beauteous praise.”
The Mother Book crieth aloud and saith:
“O company of humankind! Fear God, and follow not your passions. Follow rather Him Who hath sent Me down from the heaven of His wondrous Revelation.”
And the Mother of the Bayan, standing before the faces of all religions, proclaimeth:
“O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful. He hath come for Whose sake the lovers of the earth and its pillars offered up their lives. Be not of the heedless.”
Rejoice, O concourse of earth, and then arise to aid your Lord with the hosts of heavenly virtues. This is the Day whereon the traces of delusion have been effaced, and the light of certitude hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the mercy of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thus hath there appeared that which was treasured in the knowledge of God, the Desire of them that truly know.
O Pen! Turn thy face toward My people and say:
“O people of God! Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have cast aside vain imaginings and laid hold upon the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.”
O ʿAli-Qabl-Akbar! Thou hast been mentioned in the Most Great Outlook, that station at the mention of which the oceans of inner knowledge surged and the sweet savours of the All-Merciful were stirred, and all things proclaimed:
“The kingdom and the dominion belong to God, the Desire of all who are in the heavens and on the earth.”
O steadfast one, O ʿAli-Akbar! Call to mind the days when thou didst stand in Our presence and hear the call from the tongue of the Wronged One, Who was imprisoned by reason of what the hands of them that turned away had wrought. We desired the honour of the people of the world, while they sought My abasement. We bear witness that, with God, the Almighty, the All-Praised, they are among the most great losers.
Say: O people of Nun and Jim! Ye have been remembered before the Wronged One, and have attained unto that which hath been withheld from most men. This is attested by the Lord of creation, of Whom the Point of the Bayan gave tidings, and before Him the Seal of the Prophets; to this bear witness the Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Glorious.
He Who is named Zayn al-Muqarrabin hath inscribed your names in His perspicuous Book. Once again have We sent down for you that which hath caused the mouth of the Kingdom of the Bayan to smile—a mercy from Us and a favour from Our presence upon you and upon every soul who turneth unto My Path and attaineth unto My great praise.
O Muhammad-Qabl-Baqir! Hear the cry raised in the quarter of ʿAkka: it is from the champion in the arena of the Bayan, at the mention of Whose name the very foundations of those who denied the proof of God, His testimony, His greatness, His sovereignty, His Manifestation and His might are shaken with earthquakes. Soon shall they behold the recompense of their deeds in this vain life—a decree from the presence of God, the Just, the All-Powerful.
Say: “O my God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and thanksgiving, and unto Thee be gratitude and glory, inasmuch as Thou hast made mention of me and hast sent down for me that wherefrom the fragrance of Thy proof hath in all the realms been diffused, and the sweet scent of the testimony of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day, hath been shed abroad.
“O Lord! Thou beholdest me turning unto Thee, holding fast to Thy cord, and drinking the wine of Thy knowledge from the cup of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the Spirit and his longing at the hour of his ascension; by his rapture when Thy command fell upon his ear; by his attaining unto the court of Thy holiness and his standing before Thy Face; and by his enkindlement with the fire of Thy love when he attained unto Thy meeting—that Thou mayest ordain for me every good Thou hast decreed for Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Bountiful.”
O Zayn! Upon thee be My glory and My loving care. The page thou didst send hath reached the Wronged One; We have made mention of My loved ones with a remembrance that hath drawn the hearts of the righteous. Convey to My servants what hath been sent down in the heaven of My Will, and give them the glad-tidings of My Manifestation and My establishment upon the throne of My majesty, and illumine their hearts with the lights of My loving-kindness that have encompassed all horizons.
O Pen! Make mention of him who is named ʿAbdu’llah, whose name hath been honoured with the mention of God, the Lord of all directions. Dost thou find an ear to hear My call which hath been uplifted in this quarter, before which all quarters have bowed themselves? Dost thou perceive an eye to behold that which hath shone forth and gleamed from this horizon, whereby earth and heaven have been illumined, and at whose appearance the Mount hath proclaimed and the trees have cried aloud?
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast heard the call of the Wronged One and hast quaffed His sealed wine in His Name, the Self-Subsisting. We entreat God to strengthen thee and My loved ones there with that which shall draw them nigh unto the Day-Spring of lights, ordain for them the good of the life to come and of this first life, and grant them in this Cause that which shall rejoice eyes and hearts alike.
Say: “Unto Thee be praise, O my God, for that Thou hast turned toward Thy servant and hast sent down for him that wherefrom the fragrance of Thy mercy hath been diffused amongst Thy servants. I entreat Thee by the blood that hath been shed in Thy path, by the cry of them that are nigh unto Thee in their separation from Thee, and by the lamentation of the lovers in Thy days, that Thou mayest confirm me in steadfastness in Thy love, in such wise that neither the misfortunes of this world, nor its assaults nor its might nor its ingratitude, shall cause me to stumble. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou wilt. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.”
O ʿAli! Give thanks unto God for that thou and My loved ones have attained unto My Most Exalted Remembrance, unto Whom belong the treasures and riches of earth. Thy Lord is, in truth, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful; Him will not withhold the clamour of the divines of Iran, who have taken their idle fancies as lords beside God and have wrought such deeds as have caused the denizens of nearness to lament in the loftiest height.
We have, indeed, forgiven such as in My days turned their faces toward the Countenance, and the hands of My grace have brought them into the Paradise of My mercy and the Heaven of My favour. Verily, I am the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
O party of God! Rejoice in My remembrance and My loving providence. By My life! There hath been sent down for you that whereby the supreme rejoicing hath seized the dwellers of the cities of My love and the people of the pavilion of My glory. This is attested by every tongue that hath spoken or shall speak, for sovereignty and loving-kindness are both in the grasp of My might. Blessed is he who doeth that which hath been enjoined by My command; I verily am He Who commandeth in all conditions.
Section 2: “We make mention of My loved ones who…”
We make mention of My loved ones who have carried out what they were commanded in My Book, and We entreat God to make the recompense of their deeds treasures with Him. Verily, He is powerful to do what He willeth, by His Name whereby He hath subjected all who dwell in the lands. Let not the heedlessness of the heedless, the cruelty of the oppressors, nor the turning away of every doubting rejecter grieve you. Rejoice in that We have adorned your deeds with the robe of acceptance—a mercy from before God, the Lord of streaming rivers.
O Zayn! Upon thee be My glory, My care and My mercy. Rejoice in My lovingkindness that shineth in this hour, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bestowing.
We entreat God—exalted and blessed be He—to cause to descend upon His loved ones, from the heaven of grace and bounty, that which shall exalt them amidst His servants and assist them, at all times, with the hosts of wisdom and utterance.
O ʿAbbas! The Lord of men speaketh before all faces, yet the people understand not. Verses are sent down upon them, yet they are unaware. They have followed mere surmise, and turned away from God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting. They behold, and yet deny; they hear, and yet turn aside. Verily, in the Book of God, the Lord of faces, they are accounted among the dead. We counsel thee and My loved ones to trustworthiness, piety, resignation and contentment, and to whatsoever befitteth this Day whereof the realms of the seen and unseen have been illumined by its light.
O ʿAbbas! Cast away all that men possess and lay hold upon My Preserved Tablet. It was, in very truth, treasured in the eternity of eternities and hidden in the realm of knowledge. To this testify honoured servants.
God hath heard the call of His loved ones and hath answered it, as a bounty from His presence, with that which shall cause their names to endure so long as the kingdoms of earth and heaven shall last.
Say: “O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Manifestation, Thy appearance, Thy mounting the throne, Thy rising up and Thy sitting down, and all that shineth from Thy presence, to make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou wilt, and in Thy grasp are held the reins of whatsoever hath been and shall be.”
O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of him who, time and again, attained unto Thy presence, stood before Thy face, and visited Thee in the prison, in the Mansion, and in yet another place, that joy may seize him in whatsoever state he may be, in this hour—a decree from before God, the Lord of lords.
We give thee glad-tidings, O youth, Qabl-ʿAli, of that which hath been ordained for thee from the presence of God, the Lord of the outpouring rains. Verily, He hath forgiven My servants who have not broken His Covenant and have circled round His Cause at eventide and at dawn.
We have made mention of thee aforetime with a remembrance which God hath ordained to be a means for the exaltation of His Most High Word, and a ladder for the ascent of such as have set their faces toward the Most Great Goal, at morn and at even.
We praise and thank God on thy behalf, for that He hath strengthened thee to confess when every tyrant, every arrogant soul, denied My Cause.
Unto Thee be praise, O my God, my Lord, my stay and my support, for that Thou hast aided Thy servant to turn toward the lights of Thy Face and to appear before Thy Throne. I bear witness that he hath sought the furthermost goal and the loftiest height, and that neither the ranks of Thine enemies nor the might of those who denied Thy right and disbelieved in the Beginning and the Return have withheld him therefrom. Thou hast inscribed for Me, with the Pen of Thy bounty, that which hath drawn him nigh unto Thee in spirit and in fragrance. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of God, the Lord of all peoples.
O Isma’il! Hear the call of the Most Great One. He hath made mention of thee, and maketh mention of thee, in verses which the treasures of the earth cannot rival. To this beareth witness Him with Whom is the knowledge of the Book.
Ponder upon those who were seized by the attraction of this call, so that they hastened to the place of sacrifice and offered up their lives in My path, a path at whose mention every proud and arrogant soul hath lamented.
Behold him who was named Isma’il in the city called Zawra’ in the Kingdom of Names: he offered himself with his own hand in the path of God, the Desire of all mankind. And another sacrifice in another land, who turned his face toward the Most Great Goal and laid down his life, in spirit and in fragrance, in the path of the All-Merciful. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of God, the Lord of all religions. There is no city but a sacrifice hath therein spent his life for the love of God, subject to the winds that blow.
Say: “Unto Thee be praise, O my God, for that Thou hast made known unto me Thy Cause, shown me Thy Path, sent down Thine verses, and enabled me to turn toward Thy horizon. I bear witness that Thou hast revealed Thyself and brought to light that which was treasured in knowledge and hidden from the eyes.”
Say: “O my God, my God! I bear witness to the sanctity of Thy Cause and the purity of Thine own Self, and to the blood that hath been shed in Thy love; to the hearts that have been rent in Thy separation; to the livers that have melted in Thy remoteness; to the hands that have been raised unto the heaven of Thy bounty; to the ears that have readied themselves to hearken unto Thy sweetest call, which hath been uplifted in the loftiest station; to the eyes that have attained to the visitation of Thy presence and have beheld the horizon from which the orb of Thy beauty hath shone; to the souls that have waited for the wondrous tokens of Thy grace and mercy; to the stronghold which Thou hast made a prison for Thine own Self; to the lands that have been dyed red with the blood of Thy chosen ones; to the hearts that have turned toward the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy fellowship—that Thou wilt strengthen Thy servant and Thy servants to perform such deeds as Thou hast enjoined upon us in Thy perspicuous Book.
Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, Whom naught can hinder among created things nor any name or form restrain from what Thou hast willed in the realms of earth and heaven. Thou, in truth, art the Lord of might and power; there is none other God but Thee, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”
O ʿAli-Qabl-Akbar! Remember My loving-kindness and My mercy, even as We have remembered thy standing before Our Face and thy service before the gate of Our mercy, and glorify thy Lord by night and by day.
The glory that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy bounty be upon thee, upon whoso hath transcribed My Book and made mention of My loved ones, and upon every steadfast and upright soul.
BH00481: Praise be unto God, Who hath caused the Sun…
He is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting; exalted be His glory, the Almighty.
Praise be unto God, Who hath caused the Sun of singleness to dawn from the horizon of detachment, and hath cast the flashes of its effulgent rays upon the mirrors of them that are sanctified and glorify His Name.
He it is Who hath lit, in the deepest gloom of darkness, the lights of His Most Great Name, and hath kindled the Lamp of pre-existence in the very pole of the world. His is might, and majesty, and grandeur, and eternity, and dominion, and glory. His mercy hath compassed all things, His power hath encompassed all things, His bounty hath been perfected, and His loving care fulfilled.
He created the realm of possibility for the sake of man, and created man that he might know His own Self, the All-Merciful. He hath commanded him to hallow His Essence, to render thanks unto Him, to extol and praise His Name, to magnify His majesty, His greatness and His beauty. Blessed is he who attaineth unto His knowledge, obeyeth His command and sovereignty, and beholdeth, with the eye of the heart, His proof. And woe betide the heedless and the veiled!
Remembrance and praise, and the very essence of glory and splendour, rest upon those by whom the tongue hath spoken with wisdom and exposition, by whom the pages of existence have been adorned with the margins of knowledge and understanding. Through them hath man come to know his Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful; through them hath every poor one laid hold on the hem of the wealth of God, the Omnipotent, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; through them hath every feeble one clung to the robe of the might of the Lord of power and bounty.
O God, Thou Lord of mankind and Possessor of the mysteries of destiny! With what tongue shall I describe Thee, and how shall I befittingly set forth that which appertaineth unto Thy greatness and Thy majesty, Thy might and Thy beauty, Thy sovereignty and Thy perfection, Thy power and Thy independence? Whenever I ponder Thine overwhelming strength, O King of creation, I find my tongue powerless to render even the description of the least of Thy handiworks and the weakest of Thy creatures. How then shall I describe Thine Essence, exalted above all attributes; Thy Self, uplifted above all mention; Thy Reality, hallowed above all comprehension and thought?
By Thy glory, O God of the worlds and Lord of the heavens and the earth! I am confounded, and the knowers are confounded; I am bewildered, and the lovers are bewildered; I am astonished, and all the peoples are astonished. For I behold that Thy praise and Thy glorification are enjoined upon every one of Thy servants, yet I witness that the highest of praises is unworthy of the court of the majesty of Thy grandeur.
The mention which Thy creatures make of Thee and the descriptions which they ascribe unto Thee are but their likening Thee unto that which hath been imprinted upon their minds—things unbefitting the sovereignty of Thy singleness—or their comparing Thee with that which hath occurred to their fancies—things unworthy of the kingship of Thy oneness. For they apprehend naught save that which their imagination can fashion, that which resembleth themselves and beareth affinity unto them, being in the plane of their own rank and degree.
Thou, however, through the sovereignty of Thy unity, art exalted above likeness and resemblance and all similitude. How, then, canst Thou be known by thoughts or described by words? All that the praisers recount of Thee, in Thy loftiness and Thy greatness and Thy majesty, they conceive as a limit in power and might, commensurate with their own state, their own degree, and the shortness of their own understanding. Thus all that they say and remember remaineth confined within the bounds of limitation, while Thou art exalted above the limitations of men and the confines of contingent being.
Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! How great is Thy power and Thy sovereignty! How exalted Thy station and Thy proof! Verily, we are all prostrate before Thee; we tremble before Thy dominion; we turn our faces toward Thy presence; we stand at the threshold of the gate of Thy bounty; and we speak of the wondrous tokens of Thy grace.
I beseech Thee, O Thou Originator of existence, Lord of the unseen and the seen, to assist Thy loved ones to celebrate Thy remembrance and praise, and to proclaim Thy Cause in Thy lands. Make them, O my God, standards of steadfastness among Thy creatures and signs of guidance amidst Thy creation. Lead, through them, such as have wandered in the wildernesses of allusions, and have withheld themselves from knowing Thee, O Lord of earth and heaven.
O thou who drinkest from the goblet of certitude and dwellest in the shadows of the love of the Lord of all being! Thy letter hath reached this servant and I have read the sweet savour of thy words. I entreat God, the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of the unseen and the seen, to enable thee to that which is best for thee in this world and the next, and to grant thee supreme steadfastness in His Cause amongst mankind. Verily, He is the Most High, the All-Glorious. All things between earth and heaven bear witness to the love of these noble ones for you and your remembrance of them; and God is, verily, a witness unto that which I say. There is no God but He, the All-Mighty, the All-Laudable.
O Thou beloved of the heart! Whenever I ponder the people of the lands and their heedlessness of the Cause of their Lord, the Fashioner of existence, in this Day of Reckoning, I am bewildered. With the tongue of my inmost heart and of my outward speech I cry: O my God and my Lord! Since Thou didst create them for Thine own knowledge, how canst Thou leave them to wander in the deserts of heedlessness, far removed from the Sun of Thy knowledge that hath risen from the horizon of power and might? It beseemeth Thy all-embracing grace and Thy boundless loving-kindness to gather all, through Thine irresistible might, beneath the shadow of Thy Most Great Name, and to make them to know, through Thy prevailing power, the revelation of Thy most perfect Light.
I entreat Thee, O Thou Creator of the realm of possibility and Revealer of the religions, that Thou withhold not Thine outpourings from Thy lands, for in Thy hand are the kingdoms of bounty and bestowal, the realms of grace and munificence. No God is there but Thee, the Bestower, the Giver, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Verily, O Thou who art the Beloved, say: O servants of the All-Merciful! Are ye still slumbering? Are ye veiled from the Cause of your Lord? The Sun hath risen and attained the zenith of its noontide height, and from every direction the lights of majesty and glory have encompassed you. If ye deny this Cause, to what cause will ye cling, and unto which quarter will ye turn?
Will ye not reflect upon the ages past and the centuries long gone by? If the hints and allusions of the divines have withheld you—He hath spoken, and His word is truth: “Most of His adversaries have ever been the divines.”
And if ye be veiled by the sayings of the jurisprudents, He hath verily declared—and His word is the truth:
“The divines of that age shall be the most evil divines beneath the canopy of heaven.”
Have ye beheld among the contemporary doctors of religion such as He—may my soul be offered up for Him—hath described of the true divines? Nay, by the Lord of the heavens and the earth!
He, exalted be He, hath said—and His word is truth:
“As to those divines who safeguard their own selves, preserve their faith, oppose their passions and obey the command of their Lord—upon such it is incumbent that the people should follow them.”
By the Lord of existence and the King of the unseen and the seen! I am bewildered, and the horizons are bewildered, at your heedlessness and your remoteness from your Lord, the Lord of the Day of Reunion. Have ye not seen the divines hastening unto the obedience of lust and desire, and turning away from the command of the Lord of all being? See ye in their aim aught save love of this world? Do they seek aught save leadership and the seizing of the reins of the masses for personal ends and selfish passions?
If they glory in what they possess of sciences, know ye that true knowledge is the knowledge of the Known; whatsoever is beneath this is mere illusion and surmise. He hath spoken, and His utterance is truth: “Knowledge is a single point, which the ignorant have multiplied.” And if they claim a proof other than this, say: “Bring then your proof.” Verily, We are present among you, that we may supplicate and call upon God concerning His Cause, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
By thy life, O dearly loved one! They draw not nigh, but flee from the scenes of trial, even as their likes fled aforetime in ages and centuries past. Say: O servants of the All-Merciful! Hath your love of the world, with its adornments and delights, debarred you from turning unto the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful? Have ye not reflected upon its extinction and passing-away, upon its slight endurance and fleeting stay?
Hath the glory of the Chosroes endured, or the wealth of the Caesars, or the might of the Pharaohs, or the sway of the tyrants? Where is their majesty and their splendour, their graciousness and their comeliness? Where are their thrones and their palaces, their wide dominions and their exultation? Look now upon their graves! They have descended from the loftiest stations to the lowest depths; they have been borne down from the trellised gardens to the upturned tombs, from exalted couches to pits that lie so near at hand.
Doth any glory abide save the glory that is within the shadow of the Name of your Lord, the Most Great? Doth any remembrance endure save the remembrance of him who hath entered beneath the canopy of the knowledge of your Lord, the All-Glorious, the Most Generous?
Take ye heed, O people of insight, and be ye admonished, O people of reflection! How often have We seen the most honoured of men, by denying the Sun of Reality, falling to the nethermost degree; and beheld the lowliest of servants, through the knowledge of his Lord, the Fashioner of existence, ascending unto the loftiest heights! Mighty is he who seeketh shelter beneath the shadow of God; abased is he who layeth hold on aught else save Him.
Say: Make haste, then, unto the shadow of the mercy of your Lord, the Most Exalted, and act in accordance with that which He hath enjoined upon you in His Book. He, verily, will raise you up unto the most sublime degree and the most exalted rank. All good lieth in your following your Lord, the Omnipotent, the All-Bountiful; and all loss is in your turning away from the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and in your abandoning His commandments, which are the very cause of life for them that are in the realm of being and the greatest means of salvation for the people of true knowledge.
Say: Busy not yourselves save with that which shall be an adornment for man in the world; manifest naught save spiritual qualities among the nations. Desire not for the children of men that which ye would not desire for your own selves. Prefer not your individual advantages and private gain above the common good.
Adorn your outer being with piety, and your inner being with truthfulness, faith and loyalty. Cast not your souls into the perils of lusts and vain desires; commit not that which ye have been forbidden in the Book of God, the Lord of earth and heaven. This is that which shall profit you in this world and the next, if ye but hear it for your own sakes. Otherwise, He verily is independent of your good and your evil, your association of others with Him and your recognition of His oneness, your disobedience and your worship.
Thou, O beloved one, pay no heed unto the people, their heedlessness and their veils. Rather, look unto the proof of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, which shineth like the sun in the zenith of heaven. Did but anyone, in the light of his inborn nature, but turn his ear, he would hearken from every atom of the atoms that “He, verily, is God; there is no God but He, the All-Sufficient, the All-Praised”, and from every leaf among the leaves that “He, verily, is the Victorious, the Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Peerless.”
In this great Day, it behoveth us to be as mountains, steadfast upon the path of our Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise, in such wise that no storms of the allusions of the veiled, nor tempests of the deeds of the heedless, shall move us. Let us arise to serve the Cause, turning neither to left nor to right, severed from all save God, the Lord of all worlds.
Convey, on behalf of this servant, exalted praise unto every believing man and woman of the kindred, and announce to them the loving care of their Lord, the Possessor of names. And send forth glorification and splendour upon the countenance of him whose name is signified by the letters Mim and Ha’, and say:
“O thou dear one! The Name of God hath made mention of thee and hath borne witness to the degrees of thy love for the Lord of all things and to thy sincerity toward God, the Lord of earth and heaven.”
I beseech God, the Lord of pre-existence and the Sovereign of nations, to protect you by His Most Great Name, to grant you the choicest good in this world and the next, and to confirm you in that whereby your mention shall endure amongst the people of creation and your spirit be made to shine resplendent in the Highest Horizon.
Glory and praise be upon you and upon the sincere servants of God. The people of the Household magnify His Name over thee and over thy household and all thy kindred. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds, and glory be unto God, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth!
BH00482: Praise be to God, Who standeth alone in majesty…
Section 1: “Praise be to God, Who standeth alone…”
He is God, the King, the True One, the Manifest.
Praise be to God, Who standeth alone in majesty, Who is unique in might and greatness and beauty; Who, in the sheer simplicity of His Being, is sanctified above all likeness and similitude, and, in the very essence of His Identity, is exalted beyond the knowledge of them that are endowed with excellence and perfection.
He it is Who hath brought existence forth out of non-existence, and hath inscribed upon the tablet of the heart the mysteries of knowledge and wisdom, and hath taught man that which he knew not. The reality of His Essence the minds can never fathom, nor can any path lead unto the knowledge of His very Self. He is He Who revealeth Himself unto the world with the lights of the Sun of His wondrous Cause, and Who ruleth over the nations by His Most Great, His inviolable Name. Whoso attaineth in these days unto the knowledge of Him hath verily attained unto a station most exalted.
Exalted is His Essence above association with accidents and causes; hallowed is the simplicity of His Being above limitation by the boundaries of the thoughts of creeds. He sitteth upon the throne of loftiness and imperishability, and resteth upon the couch of grandeur, power and bounty. No one can bar the course of His mighty command, nor can aught hinder the outpouring of His all-embracing grace. He, verily, is the One, the Single, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
Peace be upon that Manifest Peace which hath shone from the dawning-place of majesty; and the radiant Light which hath flashed from the horizon of the Cause of the Lord of names; and the resplendent praise which hath risen from the dawn of eternity—upon the Manifestations of the Cause of God in the world of being, the recipients of His Revelation between earth and heaven; those through whom the veils of idle fancy were rent asunder, the hidden Light of His Name was made to shine upon the world, the nations were encompassed by the rays of the Sun of His guarded Cause, and the rills of His treasured favour flowed throughout existence. Through them hath God guided the people of error unto the horizon of glory and majesty; through them hath He drawn the yearning ones nigh unto the garden of nearness and beauty. And upon those also be peace who are guided by their lights, follow in their footsteps, apprehend their mysteries, seek blessing from their breaths, are illumined by the radiance of their lamp, and who have forsaken the world and all that is therein out of longing to meet their Lord, the All-Bountiful, and yearning to attain the station of His reunion, exalted, all-glorious.
O thou who hast been drawn by the magnet of love into the realm of steadfastness! Thy letter, which the pen of affection had adorned with the traces of ink, hath reached this servant, and it hath given utterance to the subtleties of the love that gloweth within thy heart. Blessed art thou, for thou hast laid hold on the Sure Handle and hast attained unto the meeting of thy Lord, the All-Glorious. Thou hast recognized that from which the greater part of the people of the world have been debarred.
This is a bounty which no created thing can equal, nor can it be weighed against all that is in the hands of nations and peoples. It behoveth thee—and all who in this most exalted, most honoured, most glorious Day have laid hold on the Most Great Name—to arise, at morn and even, to serve the Cause of God; to guide, with wisdom and utterance, the hosts of the erring unto the realm of grandeur and majesty; to lead the servants, with the jewels of knowledge and understanding, unto the gardens of the knowledge of the Lord of religions; to direct the heedless, through the subtleties of spiritual qualities, unto the presence of the Lord of all horizons, in this Day of the Covenant and of thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Glorious.
There is, in this Day, no station greater than that of proclaiming unto the people of the world the Word of the Cause of God, the Possessor of names. Blessed is he whom God strengtheneth in this mighty Cause and confirmeth in steadfastness upon this straight Path.
Ponder thou upon this wondrous Day, and upon the heedlessness of the people of the earth with regard to this weighty, this momentous Cause. How immersed are they in idle thoughts and vain imaginings, and how veiled from the lights of the knowledge of their Lord, the All-Knowing—He Who hath set in motion the circle of existence and planted the standards of His proof in the visible realm!
The man of understanding is bewildered at the vehemence of the denials of the rejecters, the multitude of the fancies of the heedless, and the repeated veiling of the ignorant. How is it that they have failed to discern their own salvation in this world and the next, and have remained oblivious of that which would profit them in the realms of their Lord, the Most Exalted?
Do they behold any station more glorious than this most noble station? Do they witness any remembrance more exalted than this most mighty remembrance? Do they descry any light more luminous than this most upright Light? Say: all greatness belongeth unto God, all power belongeth unto God, all sovereignty belongeth unto God, He Who hath manifested His Cause, made plain His decree, shed abroad His light, and disclosed His revelation.
O thou beloved one! When I beheld thy letter and read thy words, I entered the presence of the All-Glorious, and laid thy remembrance before thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Then surged the ocean of bounty and heaved the fragrance of grace, and from the Source of bestowal there flowed unto thee that whereat all existence was stirred. His word—may the souls of them that yearn be offered up for Him—came forth, saying:
O noble one! Upon thee be My glory. Today, the third day of the Feast of Ramadan, the Greater Branch hath, on thy behalf, attained unto the court and visitation of Fa’id. We beseech God to make this deed for thee a treasure in His presence; verily, He is the Faithful, the All-Knowing.
Each one of the mentioned friends hath been commemorated by the Pen of the Most High; they have quaffed the choice wine of My utterance, the Kawthar of My remembrance, the Salsabil of My favour and the ocean of My bounty, the All-Glorious, the Wondrous. Convey to each of them, from the tongue of this Wronged One, the cry of “God is Most Great!” Say:
O My loved ones! This is the Day of remembrance and praise, if ye but knew; the Day of steadfastness and faithfulness, if ye but understood. Your names have been presented before this Wronged One, and We have sent down for you that wherewith the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful hath diffused throughout the realm of existence. Blessed are ye, and blessed is whoso drinketh of My sealed wine in My Name, the Self-Subsisting. We beseech God to aid you with the hosts of utterance and to draw you nigh unto Himself. Verily, He is the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
We desired, furthermore, to make mention of him who is entitled Abdu’llah’, that he might rejoice and be among the thankful. Say: O Abdu’llah! Shatter the idols of the fancies of men with the arm of certitude—a command from the presence of God, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We beseech God, exalted and glorified be He, to assist thee, to confirm thee, and to raise thee up in this Cause, that thy name may be inscribed in His Mighty, His Wondrous Book.
Section 2: “O Muhammad Qabl-i-Rida! Hearken unto the call proceeding…”
O Muhammad Qabl-i-Rida! Hearken unto the call proceeding from the direction of God, the Lord of all worlds. He hath appeared and hath manifested whatsoever He willed, as a bounty from His presence. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We enjoin upon thee and upon such as have believed that whereby the Cause of God may be exalted amongst His servants. Blessed is he who heareth and respondeth; and woe betide the deniers!
O Ghaffar! Through thy mention of “the All-Forgiving” in this perspicuous Tablet, say: My God, my God! I bear witness that Thou hast appeared, and hast sent down Thy Book, and hast manifested Thine evidences, and hast summoned the peoples, from behind the veil, unto the dawning-place of Thy most great signs and the manifestation of Thy most excellent names. I beseech Thee to enable me to celebrate Thy remembrance and to serve Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
O Muhammad Qabl-i-Husayn! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee and calleth thee, that He may draw thee nigh unto the All-Informed. Cast idle fancies beneath thy feet in despite of every ignorant and far-removed one. Say: The Day hath come, and the people are holden within a thick veil. They hear and yet deny; verily, they are of those who, in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, are accounted among the most great losers.
O thou youth, Qabl-i-ʿAli! The promise hath come to pass and the Promised One hath descended from the heaven of bounty and hath revealed that which had been hidden from all eyes. Beware lest the veils of the divines shut thee out from God, the Lord of mankind. Say: O concourse of men! Deal in fairness, for the sake of God, with regard to that which hath appeared in truth. He it is Who created you for His Days. Turn ye, with radiant faces, unto the Most Exalted Horizon, whereon the tongue of utterance proclaimeth: God, there is none other God but He, the All-Bountiful, the Gracious. Blessed is he who turneth, hearkeneth and cometh; and woe betide every obstinate disbeliever!
O Muhammad Qabl-i-ʿAli! The ocean of utterance hath surged, the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath spread abroad, the mysteries have been disclosed, the rivers have flowed, and yet the people, for the most part, remain in doubt and dissension. They have denied the proof of God and His testimony and have been ungrateful for His favour; verily, they are of the people of error. Blessed art thou for having turned; and woe unto every scheming opposer! Thus have We sent down unto thee the verses and unveiled what had been treasured up in the knowledge of God, the Lord of lords.
O Jabbar! Verily, the Almighty hath heard thy call and hath answered thee with conclusive speech. The Hour hath come, and its signs have appeared, and the Light hath shone forth from the horizon of power. Blessed is he who fulfilleth the Covenant and breaketh not the pledge of God when He cometh with might and sovereignty.
O Ahmad! Recite that which the All-Merciful sent down in the Furqan:
“On the Day when men shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”
That hidden treasure hath now been disclosed, and He hath revealed what He willed, as a mercy from His presence; yet most of the people are among the heedless. Say: Fear God, and follow not every distant wrongdoer. Lay aside the books of the people, and take firm hold of the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
And We make mention, in that place, of the handmaids of God, and beseech Him to ordain for them that which He hath decreed for the women of the Company on high. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
The glory from Our presence rest upon you, O company of the beloved, and upon every soul that is firm in the Cause and steadfast on the Path. Praise be to God that the honoured ones have been mentioned by the tongue of greatness, and that the bounties of God have streamed forth from the fountain-head of grace. The names of the friends of the earth that were recorded in the letter of the one entitled “Name of Bounty” have all been presented in the holy court, and individually have they been lovingly commemorated. Convey unto them what hath been sent down for them from the heaven of the bounty of their Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
On behalf of this servant also, let each of them be remembered with a wondrous remembrance and an exalted glorification.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God, O Lord of mankind, O Possessor of the mysteries of fate! I beseech Thee by the Light that hath shone forth from the Most Great Horizon to strengthen those who have arisen to serve Thee and who have laid hold on the hem of Thy Cause, that they may exalt the standards of remembrance and praise in the world of humanity, and guide Thy servants, with wisdom and utterance, unto the realm of firm conviction.
O my God! Thou hast manifested Thy Cause, made plain Thy proof, sent down Thy verses and disclosed Thy clear evidences. I entreat Thee, by Thy great bounty and Thy all-encompassing grace and Thy ancient Name and Thy straight Path, that Thou suffer not Thy servants to be debarred from the rays of the Sun of knowledge in these days, wherein Thou hast embroidered the horizon of existence with the rising of the Orb of wisdom and exposition.
Look not, O my God, upon their heedlessness and their veils, but upon Thy grace and Thy loving care; not upon their weakness and poverty, but upon Thy power and Thy might. Draw them—even if by chains—unto the horizon of Thy favour and the paradise of Thy knowledge. Thou, verily, art He Whose bounty hath encompassed all created things and Whose mercy hath preceded all that are in the realm of contingency. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Thou art the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Protect, O my Hope, Thy loved ones beneath the shade of Thy guardianship and Thy protection from the evils of the wicked among Thy creatures, and clothe them in the robe of steadfastness upon the path of Thy love. Verily, Thy Name hath subdued the world and Thy sovereignty hath vanquished the nations. In Thy grasp lieth the kingdom of destiny. There is no God but Thee, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful.
Send down, O my God, Thy blessings upon the recipients of Thy Revelation in the world of being and the sources of Thy Command, O Lord of names—those through whom the orbits of existence revolve and through whom the decrees of creation, in secret and in open, are ordained. And upon those also who have kindled their lamps from the Light of their knowledge, been guided by the sweet accents of their utterance, been led by them unto Thee, bowed in submission before their behest, and, through their counsels, have severed themselves from all save Thee and arisen, even as they have arisen, to serve Thy Cause.
Verily, Thou art the Bestower, the Giver, the All-Compassionate. There is no God but Thee, the All-Watchful, the All-Powerful, the Munificent, the Most Tender. Let the friends of God, wheresoever they may dwell, when they meet Thy loved ones, remember them with wondrous praises and subtle glorifications.
The spirit and the glory rest upon thee and upon them, one and all.
BH00446: To be typed
To be typed.
BH00533: Praise be to God, Who hath with the fire…
He is God, blessed and exalted be His glory.
Praise be to God, Who hath with the fire of knowledge ignited the Sadratu’l-Insan, the Lote-Tree of the human reality, and therewith illumined all horizons on the Day of Reunion. When the hidden secret was unveiled and the treasured symbol disclosed, the people of the Covenant hastened unto the dawning-place of Beauty, whilst the people of dissension fled into the darkness of remoteness—inasmuch as the eyes of their hearts were powerless to behold the effulgence of the lights of concord shining from the horizon of intimacy and unity.
Glorified, glorified is He! Exalted is His Cause and His proof! He hath sent down His verses that He might guide His servants unto the gardens of fellowship and love; He hath taught them the paths of rectitude and led them unto the meads of unity. Whoso hearkeneth, with the ear of the heart, unto His binding, irrevocable decree, attaineth unto the Most Great Effusion and, by the light of faith, is delivered from the darkness of ignorance and obstinate denial.
Blessed are they who have recognized this Great Day, attained unto this all-embracing bounty, and trodden the straight Path in the shadow of the Lote-Tree of the knowledge of their Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful. Through the grace of their All-Knowing Lord have they been saved from the ancient error. They are the dwellers in the pavilion of the Most Glorious, the voyagers upon the Crimson Ark sailing upon the ocean of majesty and anchored beneath the Verdant Dome upon the shore of eternity.
Blessed are they, in that they have clung to the cord of faithfulness and entered the gardens of unveiling and reunion. May God stablish their feet upon the path of His mighty Cause in this Day whereon the limbs of the mighty have trembled before the manifestations of Thy command, O Lord of names! Thou art witness that they have forsaken the world out of longing to meet Thee, and have fled from the concourse of the nations to the shadow of Thine own knowledge.
I beseech Thee, by Thy Most Great Name and Thy most potent, most perfect proof, to guard them, beneath the shadow of the Lote-Tree of Thy protection, from the malice of the wicked among Thy creatures, and to assist them, at all times, to guide Thy servants, with wisdom and utterance, unto the fountainhead of knowledge and understanding. Deposit, through Thy bounty, such power in their words that hearts may thereby be drawn unto the shore of Thy knowledge and souls may be guided unto the dawning-place of Thy science and Thy wisdom.
Thou art, O my Hope, my Lord, my Light and my Glory, He Who hath created the realm of possibility and all that is therein for man, and hath fashioned him to know Thine own Self and to attain unto the loftiest stations beneath the shadow of Thy Most Exalted Name. Cast them not away after Thou hast summoned them unto Thee, nor deprive them after Thou hast brought them forth to attain unto the mine of Thy bounty and grace. Look not upon their weakness, their poverty and their shortcoming, but upon the sovereignty of Thy might, the kingship of Thy power, and the subtleties of Thy bounty and Thy mercy. Thou art He Who hath named His own Self “the All-Bountiful”. There is no God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Great.
O thou who hast approached the river of love, and taketh thy rest beneath the shadows of the Lote-Tree of the Cause of the Lord of existence! What thy fingers of love and concord and thy pen of yearning and longing have traced hath reached us. I perused it with the glance of affection and perceived the fragrance wafting from the blackness of its ink, for it was compounded with the musk of tenderness.
I entreat God, the Lord of existence, the Possessor of hosts, the Ruler in the realm of the unseen and the seen, to protect thee beneath the shadow of His guardianship, to grant thee to drink of the heavenly draught of His bounty and favour, and to assist thee, through the Most Great Wisdom, to guide His servants unto the gardens of His knowledge. Verily, He is powerful over all things; He is the Subtle, the All-Informed.
The letter from Abkhanab hath been received, and the degrees of affection and the stations of love are therefrom evident and manifest. The seed hath been cast upon the soil of the grace of God—exalted be His station and magnified His bounty. We beseech and hope that, through His encompassing favour and His all-embracing mercy, He will preserve the people of Abkhanab at all times, and confirm them in that which is best for them in this world and the next. His bounty hath encompassed the world, and the Sun of His loving care hath risen from the horizon of the Cause in the plenitude of its sweetness and light.
Alas, alas for the souls and woe for the human hearts which remain deprived of this Greatest Bounty and withheld from this imperishable favour! For long centuries, one succeeding another, they have been promised this Supreme Manifestation, and they have ever exhorted one another to accept and enter into it. And now, despite the manifest proof and the dawning of the Sun of certitude, they are, as we behold, veiled and bereft.
Consider: that which today hath become the cause of the people’s waywardness is that very thing which, in former Manifestations, withheld men from entering the precincts of acceptance and attaining unto the City of Reunion. It is one and the same thing, which in every age hath been known by a certain name and mentioned under a certain term. Thus, aforetime, they said: “The hand of God is chained.” Now, this same meaning they set forth in other words and in another guise. In like manner have they limited the Manifestation of the Promised One by conditions and restrictions, and have regarded any other mode as impossible—although in the perspicuous Book it hath been stated: “He doeth whatsoever He willeth and shall not be asked of His doings.”
Moreover, in every age it hath been witnessed that the divine Manifestations have appeared in a manner contrary to the expectations of the people. In truth, were the servants to take former events as the measure for subsequent matters, they would never remain, in any wise, shut out from recognizing the Name “the Self-Subsisting” in this Day of God.
Consider: had all that the Jews were awaiting been fulfilled, in the days of the appearance of the Spirit of God, Jesus, they would assuredly not have remained, even until now, deprived. Likewise is it with the followers of the Gospel. And now behold the people of the Qur’an: they too are afflicted with that selfsame malady. Holy God! In what age and time have the imaginings of the people been the measure for the appearance of Him Who is the Manifestation of the very Self of the All-Merciful? Exalted is He above all such limitations; glorified is He above all that the heedless ascribe unto Him!
O thou beloved one! When thou beholdest the loved ones of thy Lord in the land of Ba’, there, on behalf of this Wronged One, convey unto them the cry of “God is Most Great” and remind them of the days of their Lord. Say:
By God, the True One! This day is your day. It behoveth you, after having attained unto the grace of God, the Lord of names, and having entered beneath the canopy of the knowledge of the Lord of earth and heaven, to arise for the service of the Cause, throughout the realm of being, with wisdom and utterance, with tenderness, bounty and loving-kindness.
All that hath been created in this world shall pass away; that which endureth is your standing forth to serve the Cause amidst mankind, and your service in the path of your Lord, the Fashioner of creation. Look not upon the heedlessness of the people, nor upon the veils of the dwellers in the lands; in the sight of the power of the Ancient King they are as naught.
He, exalted be He, hath singled you out for the knowledge of Him, hath adorned your bodies and your hearts with the raiment of His grace and His love, and hath decreed for you in His Kingdom that which shall remain as long as His Most Beautiful Names endure. There is no God but He, the Most High, the All-Glorious.
From the perusal of thy letter, O honoured one, in the Most Holy Presence, and from the mention of thy name laid before the Countenance, the tongue, enkindled, was directed toward thee and gave utterance to these luminous verses. It is He—exalted be His glory—Who speaketh from the Most Exalted Horizon:
“O Sadiq! Thy letter, which thou didst send unto the Greater Branch, hath come and hath been honoured by the glance of this Wronged One in His great Prison. We have read it, and have answered thee with these verses whereby the horizon of the world hath been illumined and made to shine. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.”
Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast turned, and heard, and seen, and attained unto that which was inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. We beseech God to strengthen thee to safeguard that which He hath vouchsafed thee—verily, He is the Compassionate, the Gracious—and to enable thee to celebrate My remembrance and praise with wisdom and eloquence. Verily, thy Lord is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
Upon thee be My glory, and upon My loved ones in that land, and upon every steadfast and upright soul.
O Sadiq! My glory be upon thee in all conditions. With wisdom gaze upon the hosts of God; be occupied, with the remembrance of the True One, among the people of God; and show forbearance and consideration toward the heedless, lest clamour be raised and the hearts of the weak be perturbed. The Rightful One—exalted be His glory—is bounteous; His mercy hath in truth preceded, and His loving care hath encompassed all. Thus must His loved ones also consort with His servants in utmost love, compassion and tenderness.
If they find a land receptive, let them cast therein the precious seed of the Word of God; otherwise, “unto you your religion, and unto them theirs.” Strife and contention are, in any wise, wholly forbidden. In one of the Tablets, holy war with sword and spear and such like hath been declared unlawful; the striving incumbent now is the striving with the utterance of the All-Merciful.
By the life of God! The sword of the Word is sharper than the sword of steel—this exalted word hath, again and again, flowed from the Pen. In all circumstances look with the eye of wisdom. Verily, thy Lord is the Counsellor, the All-Knowing.
As to the mention thou madest of Jinab-i-Mashhadi ʿAli-Akbar—he who hath ascended unto God—it was laid before the Countenance.
O Sadiq! Blessed is he, in that his name hath been mentioned before the Face, and for him there hath been sent down that from which the fragrance of forgiveness hath shed its perfume throughout the realm of existence. Exalted be thy Lord, the All-Merciful, Who bestoweth and withholdeth and decreeth for whomsoever He willeth that which He willeth. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Thou didst enquire concerning what he hath left behind. Know thou that all such matters are entrusted to consultation. Would that he had been enabled to discharge, with his own hand, the Huququ’llah! May God forgive him, as a favour from His presence; verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Consult, then, regarding his affairs; whatsoever is in accord with wisdom, that do ye. He heareth and seeth; verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
Thou hast also mentioned Mashhadi Isma’il and Mashhadi Yusuf. Each, through the grace of God, hath attained. For each of them a word of forgiveness hath been sent down. Blessed are they, and woe betide such as have denied the proof of God and His testimony, disbelieved in His verses and waged war against Him in person—they, indeed, are of those who, in the Book of God, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, are numbered among the most great losers.
Convey, on behalf of this Wronged One, the cry of “God is Most Great” unto the friends of that land. All have attained unto the grace of God. We entreat Him to adorn them all with the Most Great Steadfastness, and to enable them to act in accordance with that which hath flowed from the Pen of the Most High in the Book.
In these days, letters have come from the land of Badar-Sayyid, and the answers have been revealed and despatched. It is Our hope that all may partake of their portion from the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful. Verily, He speaketh the truth and guideth to the straight path; He is, in truth, the All-Glorious, the All-Fair.
Conclude thou by remembering the friends of God, from this Servant, with a wondrous, exalted glorification, and bear unto them all the glad-tidings of the loving care of the Well-Beloved—exalted be His station.
And upon thee and upon the loved ones of thy Lord be glory and praise.
BH02305: O Pen! Make mention of him who turned towards…
Introduction
He is the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
O Pen! Make mention of him who turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon in the earliest days, when all who dwell in the realm of creation turned away from Him save those whom God, the Lord of the worlds, did please. He it is who turned towards Me and attained, who spoke My praise and soared in My atmosphere, who entered My prison and heard My call, and bore witness unto that which shone forth from the horizon of the kingdom of My wondrous utterance. We have verily heard thy call and answered thee, and have seen thy letter and remembered thee in this Perspicuous Tablet.
Say: O people! This is the Day of God wherein none save Him shall be mentioned. Fear ye the All-Merciful, and be not of the mischief-makers. All things have borne witness unto the Lord of Names, yet most of the people remain sunk in slumber. Say: O people of the Bayan! The books of the world shall profit you not this day save through this Book which proclaimeth before the faces of the nations that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. My Herald came unto you and informed you of My Revelation and My sovereignty, and gave you glad-tidings of My bounty and My mercy. Fear ye God and be not of them that turn aside. Were it not for My Revelation, He would not have manifested Himself, nor would the Bayan have been sent down from the kingdom of the All-Merciful. Be fair, O people, and reject not the truth through what ye possess, if ye be of them that comprehend.
Say: Consider the people of the Furqan and their vainglory. They regard themselves as the highest, most learned, most excellent and most God-fearing of all parties, yet when the appointed time came and the horizon of the world was illumined by the Luminary of Revelation, they turned aside and disbelieved, until they pronounced judgement against Him for Whose separation they had lamented. Know ye that they are in manifest loss. Say: O people of the Bayan! Abandon their path and follow not in their footsteps. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen command you, if ye be of them that hearken. Oppose not Him Who hath come unto you with the kingdom of verses, the standards of clear proofs, and the banners of names and attributes. Leave behind what ye possess and take what hath been given you from God, the Mighty, the Wise. Whosoever hath recognized this Revelation hath attained unto the Word of Unity and witnessed what God had witnessed ere the creation of earth and heaven, that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee and My turning toward thee from the precincts of the Prison, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison. I beseech Thee to strengthen me with such steadfastness as shall cause the hearts of the croakers to quake.
The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My kingdom be upon thee and upon them who have turned towards the Most Great Sea, detached from the world. They are verily the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark, whom My Herald hath mentioned in the Qayyumu’l-Asma, and I am the All-Knowing Witness.
O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of Thy servant Abdullah, that the remembrance of the All-Merciful may draw him to the horizon of certitude, that station wherein whoso attaineth unto it, the hosts of the world shall not frighten him, nor shall the powers of the nations weaken him. Thus hath the command been sent down from the heaven of the will of the Lord of eternity at this time wherein the world hath been illumined by the lights of His resplendent countenance. Say: Hearken unto the call from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Verily it shall raise thee up and draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.
Thy letter hath been presented and that which thy tongue of recognition hath uttered hath attained unto the hearing of thy Lord, the Hearer, the Answerer. Be thou thankful unto God for this most great favor, then preserve it through His Name, the Preserver, the Powerful, the Mighty. We have heard and answered thee with a Tablet from whose horizon hath shone the day-star of thy Lord’s tender mercy, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. When thou discernest the fragrance of utterance and the breezes from the kingdom of knowledge, arise and say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having remembered me, and made me known, and guided me, and taught me, and made clear to me Thy straight path from which most of Thy servants have turned aside, save those whom Thou hast rescued through Thy power that encompasseth all who are in the heavens and on earth. I beseech Thee by the vessels of meaning upon the sea of Names, and by the mysteries of Thy enduring Book, O Creator of heaven, to make me steadfast in this Cause whereby princes have lamented and divines have cried out, and the hearts of those who have taken lords beside Thee have been perturbed. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Mirza ʿAbdu’l-Husayn
We have desired to make mention of him who hath desired to drink of My sealed wine, sealed with My Name, the Self-Subsisting. O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Countenance! Thy name was presented and from it We perceived the fragrance of thy love. We have answered thee with an utterance whereby the world hath been adorned and before which all mention hath bowed down. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Blessed is the soul that hath turned unto God in His days, and the tongue that hath spoken His praise, and the foot that hath arisen to serve His invincible Cause. Say: By God! The ocean of knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath been wafted throughout creation. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and turned toward this exalted station.
When thou hast attained unto His verses and His proof, say: Praise be to Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, for having remembered me while I was in the hands of those who were heedless of Thy Cause and desired to shed the blood of those who turned unto Thee and dwelt in Thy presence and bore witness to that which the tongue of Thy grandeur had testified before the creation of Thy heaven and earth—that verily Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: I beseech Thee, O my God, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause that there may appear from me that which shall endure as long as Thine excellent names endure. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.
O Ha before Sin! Hearken unto the call of God, the True King, the Manifest. It hath been raised from the white spot beside the crimson tree planted on the mount of knowledge, the station of the manifestation of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Bestower. And We make mention of him whom thou didst mention, who is named Abdu’llah, that he may rejoice in the bounty of God, the Lord of lords. O Abdu’llah! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and We have perceived from it the fragrance of thy sincerity to God, the One, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. We have heard thy call and thy yearning in the love of God and that wherewith thou didst commune with thy Lord, the Lord of names and attributes.
The Wronged One hath heard and answered thee with verses that neither the circumstances of the world nor the succession of ages and centuries can alter. They shall endure as long as My most excellent names and exalted attributes endure. To this doth the Creator of heaven bear witness from the most sublime station. Cast aside all else but Me, then take the cup of life in My name, then drink therefrom the wine of divine knowledge by My leave and bounty. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Bestower. Thus have the heavens of bounty revolved in thy Lord’s name. Be thankful and say:
Praise be to Thee, O Dawning-Place of verses and Manifestation of clear signs! From the horizon of grace hath shone forth the sun of permission as a mercy from Us upon thee, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind. Let not the requirements of wisdom, wherewith We have commanded all in the Scriptures and Tablets, oppose Him. Hold fast unto the cord of wisdom in all conditions. Verily it shall profit thee by the command of God, the Lord of all men. Glory be upon the people of glory who were not disturbed by the cawing of every lying impostor—they who violated God’s Covenant and Testament and disbelieved when God came with the standards of verses.
Mirza Aqay-i-Shirazi
We make mention of him who has desired the Countenance and hath spoken in praise of God, the Lord of existence. This is the Day whereon mankind hath arisen before God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. This is the Day concerning which God gave tidings and proclaimed unto His servants through His words:
“Lead forth the people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.”
Thus hath the matter been decreed from God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. This is the Day whereon the mountains have been set in motion, yet most of the people understand not.
Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and We have heard thy call to God, the Lord of the frequented House. Thy yearning hath attained unto Our hearing, and We have revealed for thee that which no earthly thing nor any treasure among treasures can equal. Hold thou fast unto the Most Great Name and cleave unto the hem of God, the Lord of the exalted Station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken and summoned all unto His praiseworthy habitation. Among the people are those whom the attraction of their Lord’s verses hath so seized that they have cast away the world, turning unto God, the Lord of eternity. They came, heard, responded, and attained unto that which was recorded in the hearts of the Prophets and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in My Preserved Tablet.
I desired for thee the grace of forgiveness from the clouds of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. We, verily, have cleansed thee, as a bounty from Our presence, with the waters of loving-kindness and favor. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Tender, the All-Bountiful. If thou inhalest the fragrance of My words and attainest unto the traces of My Pen, make mention of My days and of that which befell Me at the hands of Mine enemies—those who cast the Cause of God behind their backs, in that they followed every rejected divine and every forsaken ignorant one. They pronounced judgment against Us—those very ones who, when Our name was mentioned, arose and spoke in seeming reverence; yet when We manifested the Cause, they turned away from Us and objected unto Us with such injustice that the people of the Kingdom on high lamented thereat.
We exhort thee unto that whereby the Cause of God shall be exalted. This beseemeth whoso hath turned unto the Most Exalted Horizon in this promised Day. Glory rest upon the people of Baha who have held fast unto the Covenant of God and His Testament, and have wrought according to that whereunto they were bidden in His perspicuous Tablet. Praise be to God, the King of kings and Sovereign of the kingdoms of eternity.
O bearer of the letter Ha! Hearken once more unto the Call issuing from this Lote-Tree, before Whose manifestation the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary, the Heavenly Paradise, the Most Exalted Paradise, and whatsoever hath been created through the Word of God, the Lord of all worlds, have bowed in adoration. Verily, in every state doth He summon mankind unto the Lord of the Throne above and the earth beneath, and doth remind them of the verses of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
At this moment We have purposed to make mention of My handmaid and My leaf, who turned unto God and believed in Him at a time when the men of the earth turned away, save those whom God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, hath willed. Rejoice thou in that I have remembered thee and turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison. By My life! All that is seen upon the earth can never equal this. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou, and blessed the handmaid who turned, believed, and attained unto the knowledge of the Best-Beloved, when the veil was rent asunder and the All-Bounteous appeared invested with manifest sovereignty.
Render thanks unto thy Lord, then remember Him in the night seasons and in the days, for verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. How many a handmaid hath heard the Call of God, and how many a servant hath turned away and been numbered, in the Book of God, among the ungodly. Bliss be thine, inasmuch as thou hast quaffed the sealed wine in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for thee from His Most Exalted Pen that which He hath ordained for His devout handmaids, and that which shall profit thee in this world and in the world to come. Verily He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH00542: O Mihdi! The world is in turmoil and none…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Mighty, the All-Powerful
O Mihdi! The world is in turmoil and none has recognized its cause. Tribulation and adversity have encompassed it. The earth shall not find rest save through the call “Be thou calm!”, yet in view of the foundation of divine policy and the principles of heavenly ordinances, there has been and continues to be restraint in the utterance of the Word. Aforetime this most exalted Word descended from the Supreme Pen: The tabernacle of world order is upheld by two pillars—reward and punishment. In view of the recompense for their deeds, mankind is seen to be in loss and affliction. In these days, this servant, present before the Wronged One, has, as bidden, written certain pages wherein exalted words attributed to the Crimson Scroll have been recorded as befitting the occasion, written in such wise that should anyone desire to see them, there would be no harm in this, for therein are not mentioned those things that would cause clamor and excitement among men.
Brief mention has been made of various utterances from the All-Merciful. Send a copy thereof to Afnan A. and H., glory be upon him. It would be well-pleasing if, at each occasion, a Tablet or utterance from the Mother Book could be sent, for the divine Word increases the spirit and guides the heart to the ocean of joy and freedom.
O My Name Mihdi! Reflect upon the world’s upheavals. By My life! They shall not cease but shall increase with each passing day. Thus doth the All-Informed apprise thee. The people have been and continue to be deprived of the call of Truth and its sweetness. Strange it is that they are even deprived of the call of the world itself, for the world, by the command of the Ancient Lord, continually raises its voice to the highest pitch. One such call was the Chief of Iran who moved about like lightning, at times in the West, at times in the East, South and North, striving day and night to order the realm and increase its wealth, yet in the end returned empty-handed.
By the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing! Had he possessed but one word from God it would have been better than all he saw and heard and spent his life pursuing. However, in his final years he committed no act causing grief, therefore naught but good should be spoken of him. And as he was related to one of God’s loved ones, perchance the word of forgiveness may descend for him from the kingdom of the All-Merciful’s favors, [and] in certain instances good words did proceed from his tongue. There is no God but He, the Forgiving, the Generous.
O Mihdi! Raise thy hands in supplication. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Perchance the people of the world may be aided to achieve that which He loves and is pleased with, and become detached and independent from vain and unprofitable pursuits. The servant in attendance here laid before Him the letter from Afnan, glory be upon him, and likewise your honor submitted some matters again. That he has acknowledged his shortcomings and sought forgiveness—blessed is he, and exalted is he who has been made to know humility and supplication in the days of his Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. The hardships they have endured in God’s path and the services they have rendered are all remembered before God and recorded in the Book. The divine days which all sought to comprehend were found, after their dawning and shining forth, to find all asleep and heedless, save whom God willed.
That which has been written concerning Mirza Badi’, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory—may they ever be confirmed in that which brings down divine mercy. From this station We send Our greetings to him who is named Abdu’l-Ali and give him glad tidings of God’s favor, the Lord of all worlds. He has attained to that which God desired. Today, whosoever shows love to the relatives of the exalted martyr, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory and mercy and favor, and attends to their affairs, is beloved and accepted before the Wronged One.
As for the matter of the horse trader, it would be better and more fitting. However, that which has been or will be sent as a gift cannot be sold, while that which is in the name of Huquq may be sold without objection. This is what the Pen has spoken from the presence of the Ancient Lord in His noble station.
Concerning what was written about the Blessed Place, this matter rests with the Afnan themselves, upon them be My glory. Let them proceed as they deem best. God willing, they have been and will continue to be successful in their charitable works. By My life, all that the people possess shall perish, while that which has been ordained by the Mighty, the Powerful shall endure.
Shaykh Muhammad-ʿAli must also attend to this matter. Instructions were given to him who bears the Name of Generosity to write and summon him. The right of the sister of the King of Martyrs, upon them both be My most glorious splendor, must be discharged, and this matter is essential. The law of Huquq is most great in God’s sight. Blessed are they whom the perishable ornaments of the world have not deprived of trustworthiness. Blessed is he whose head is adorned with the crown of trustworthiness. What his honor “S”, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, has written concerning the taking of the ledgers—excellent is the news and excellent the deed. God willing, may they be aided to achieve that which leads to exaltation, glory and prosperity. As for people’s property that the government has seized, its payment is not incumbent upon the heirs—that is, the martyr, upon him be My glory, is not indebted.
Regarding the land, it is a praiseworthy deed. We have made it a piece of Paradise and named it the Verdant Spot, as a favor from Us. The choice rests with its owner. The burial of others without permission is not allowed, unless it would cause corruption. In such case, one must act according to the requirements of wisdom.
Mention was made of Mulla Husayn in the Afnan’s letter, therefore he has attained to the Wronged One’s remembrance. God willing, may they know the worth of God’s Word and its station, and drink from the cups of the words of the Kawthar of steadfastness, that they may not be deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful. From this station We send Our greetings to him and to those who have believed in God in that place, and We give them glad tidings of what God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, has ordained for them.
O My Afnan! The most important of all matters today is the teaching of the Cause—with spirit and fragrance, wisdom and utterance. Convey greetings to each of the friends in that land as wisdom permits, and remind them of what has flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, that perchance the clamor and might of the people may not prevent them from the Truth. Great is this Day. Blessed is the soul that has fulfilled its covenant and has arisen to serve its Lord in such wise that the affairs of the world have not kept it back from God, the Lord of the Promised Day. Glory be upon you and upon My Afnan and upon those who have acknowledged that which has been sent down from the presence of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.
O Mihdi! The Pen of the All-Merciful in this first dawn of the blessed month of Ramadan turneth toward the Tablet and saith: The leaf which the honored Afnan A. and H., upon them be the Glory of God, sent in thy name was presented in its entirety before His countenance. May they, God willing, be ever assisted in serving the Cause. Verily this shall profit them in the hereafter and in this life, and in the worlds of their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.
Concerning what they wrote about Mirza Badi’u’llah, his coming to this land is not permitted. The Most Exalted Pen hath previously warned that the Prison Land is in turmoil beneath its surface, though outwardly it appeareth calm. Know ye the melody of God and ponder upon it, O people. Verily He speaketh the truth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Moreover, there is no space available, and most are in great hardship and difficulty due to the cramped conditions. Their affairs have been and continue to be looked after by the Afnan. It behooveth everyone to care for them according to their means. Thus hath the All-Merciful commanded, both before and at this time.
They mentioned A. and S. Were he to hear what We have commanded him, he would see what he seeth not today, from One Who is All-Informed, All-Knowing.
Likewise was mention made of the son of the Lesser Martyr. May he, God willing, attain the grace of the True One. The fragrances of love are wafted from him. It behooveth him to beseech God to protect him and make him steadfast in this Great Cause and upon this Straight Path.
Regarding what was written about Mosul, Abu’l-Hasan from the land of T., and Samandar from the land of Q., as well as others from other lands, have submitted this matter. We have commanded the servant in attendance to send to the Afnan a copy of what was revealed from the heaven of God’s Will in reply to Abu’l-Hasan, that they may consider it. What the Afnan, upon them be the Glory of God, have done in this regard is acceptable in the presence of God, for they acted for God and in His path. The deeds of each are witnessed and recorded in the Book. Let them give thanks to God for this great bounty. O Mihdi! Praise be to God, through divine grace their mention hath been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court, and time and again they have been adorned with and have attained the ornament of His favor. The Glory be upon them.
This is a copy of what was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance in reply to him who is named Abu’l-Hasan: Concerning what you wrote about Mosul, they said it would have been better had they heeded the glad tidings and “give thou good news to the patient ones” after the blessed words “We shall surely test you.” Although drought hath overtaken most lands this year, yet the spreading of such matters by the friends might cause certain incidents. The mention and spreading of such matters should always occur with permission. Verily He knoweth His servants better than they know themselves. He is indeed the Single One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And whosoever desireth with utmost willingness and yearning to pay the Huququ’llah should give it to such as your honor and the trustees, and obtain a receipt, so that whatever transpireth may occur with God’s leave and permission. Verily He is the Teacher, the All-Wise.
The servant
BH00547: O My Name! Upon thee be My Glory!…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering!
O My Name! Upon thee be My Glory! The Most Great Branch hath appeared before the Face. The letters of the friends written to thee have each been mentioned in the Most Holy Presence and recorded by the Supreme Pen. The letter of Mirza Aqa which he sent to thee attained the honor of being heard. He made mention of the barking ones—from Kerman appeared that which flowed from the Supreme Pen in the Most Holy Book, and that which is now hidden shall be made manifest. Those who in past ages and centuries counted themselves among the righteous and deemed themselves the most learned of the earth’s scholars—on the Day of Manifestation the station and rank of each became clear and evident. By the life of God! The recompense of their deeds seized them and they returned to hell.
The deniers among the people of the Bayan cling to the same vain imaginings. Through their attachment to names they have been deprived of the Dawning Place of the lights of inner meanings. The verses have encompassed the world and the evidences have shone forth like the sun from the horizon of the heaven of will, yet still some remain deprived and veiled. Say: This is not a Cause that can be prevented by the cawing of crows or the clamor of divines. Its light hath shone forth from the horizon of proof with such brightness that neither veils can conceal it nor coverings prevent it.
Thus hath the Pen spoken when the Ancient Beauty was in the Most Great Prison. Blessed is he who hath heard the call and taken the wine of steadfastness from the hands of power and bounty, and hath drunk, detached from all names. By the life of God! He is indeed of the people of Baha, as hath been testified by the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the throne above and the earth below in this exalted station.
Verily We make mention of him who made mention of thee, as a token of My grace, for I am indeed the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. O Mirza Aqa! Hearken unto the call of Him Who hath been wronged. He hath made mention of thee before, and doth so at this hour, by the command of God, the Lord of all worlds. Thy letter which thou didst send unto My Name, upon him be My glory, hath reached Us. We have seen it and heard thy call, and have answered thee through this wondrous Book. Say: O people of God! Be not grieved by hardship, for after it cometh ease.
By the life of God, had people not risen up to deny God’s blessing, His grace would now have encompassed all the world. For blessings have infinite meanings and degrees. Among these is the outpouring of the True Bestower which is manifest and resplendent in His days. In one station, the blessing is God’s verses themselves, which are the food of the spirit, and upon which dependeth the primary education of the servants. In another station it is the love of God, glorified be His majesty—that blessing whose measure and station the pillars of the world are powerless to define. It is the cause of fellowship and the source of unity among the servants, and it is that which guideth people to the most exalted horizon.
Were but one of its effulgences to fall upon cities and lands, it would attract all and draw them to the place of sacrifice. It is the transformer and the director by God’s command, glorified be His majesty. It is that which kindleth the fire in hearts and souls, and through it the divine Lote-Tree uttereth the blessed Word. Its description cannot flow from the pen nor be concluded by the tongue. In another station the blessing is virtuous character, an adornment that befitteth all forms. Blessed is the soul that is adorned with this ornament—such a one is accepted before God and beloved among men. Were the Supreme Pen to desire to describe this station as it truly is, numerous volumes would result.
We shall be brief, as is the way of the righteous, and make mention of the souls aforementioned, that haply they may drink of the choice wine of utterance and become detached from all else but God. In ages and centuries past they worshipped various gods while considering themselves believers in the unity of God. But when the Greatest Light shone forth from the Most Exalted Horizon of the world, it became clear and evident to all that they were idol-worshippers. They martyred the Lord of the world, yet to this day have not become aware. Today is the day of true belief in God’s unity. All have been created by God’s Word. The Most Great Infallibility belongeth exclusively to God, exalted be His glory—none shareth with Him in this station. The Letters, whether of the past or future, are all created beings, and the source of all is the Divine Word, and the educator of all is His grace.
Blessed is the soul that today attaineth unto the lights of true belief and comprehendeth the meaning of the blessed words “Verily there is no God but Him.” Ponder, O people of insight! Reflect, O ye who are endowed with vision, that perchance ye may catch the fragrances of the All-Merciful. Though some veils have been rent asunder by the finger of power, others remain, for were all to be rent at once, the foundations of the world would be shaken and all peoples would be seized with trembling.
O Pen! Set aside these remembrances and mention those whose remembrance one of My loved ones has desired, that he may thank his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. We make mention of Our loved ones who have gathered in the house of him who was named Husayn, and We remind them of that which befitteth the Day of God, the Lord of the worlds.
O My loved ones! One of My servants hath made mention of you, and We have mentioned you in verses which nothing in all creation can equal. Give thanks unto God for this great favor. Rejoice in that your names have flowed from the Most Exalted Pen while the Wronged One was in His manifest prison. By God! The Most Great Announcement, whereof Muhammad the Messenger of God gave glad tidings, and which the Interlocutor foretold aforetime, and concerning which the Spirit of Truth gave tidings, hath made mention of you. Be ye strong in the Cause with a power that the conditions of creation cannot weaken, nor the clamor of the babblers who have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament and have denied Him in Whom they formerly believed render ineffective.
The Book of God, speaking from this sublime station, beareth witness unto this. From this station We send greetings to the faces of Our loved ones and give them glad tidings of My favor which hath preceded existence. Blessed is he who standeth firm whom clamor hath not caused to sit, and blessed is the speaker whom the doubts of those who have denied God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, have not silenced. Cast behind you idle fancies and shatter the idols of vain imaginings in the name of your Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Thus hath the shrill voice of My Pen been raised and the rustling of My Lote-Tree. Blessed are they who hear.
O My Name! We have made mention of Our loved ones in Kaf. Give them glad tidings of My grace, My mercy, My loving-kindness and My favor which have encompassed all that was and shall be.
And mention was made of Mirza Shukru’llah who hath turned to the Most Exalted Horizon. Blessed is the soul that hath been awakened by the breezes of the Revelation and hath risen from the graves of heedlessness and idle fancies. O Shukru’llah! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee. This is a most great favor. Hold thou fast unto it and be of the thankful ones. Say:
My God, my God! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden who desireth to drink the choice wine of revelation from the hands of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the fire of Thy love whereby all created things were set ablaze, to enable me to turn wholly unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. O my Lord! Aid me to stand firm in Thy Cause, then write me down among Thy servants who believe in Thy unity. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful.
And We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Ja’far that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. Say:
My God, my God! I have turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee and holding fast unto Thy cord. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of the heaven of Thy bounty, the ocean of Thy grace and the sun of Thy bestowals. O my Lord! I am the weak one who hath clung to the hem of Thy strength, and the disturbed one who hath turned to the horizon of Thy tranquility and Thy power. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O My Name! We have observed the letter of the beloved one—upon him be My Glory—which he sent in the name of Jud. The fragrance of divine love was wafted therefrom. We beseech God to confirm him and set his affairs aright—that is, whatsoever is in accordance with wisdom. By the Sun of the horizon of proof! He hath ordained and continueth to ordain that which is best for His loved ones. Ask thou God to set His people aflame in those regions. O people of God! Be not grieved. God hath been and will ever be with you. Each one of you must manifest such qualities as will cause the people to turn and be attracted. O dear one! Convey My greetings to the loved ones of God and say: This is the day of steadfastness and the day of service. We beseech God to protect all.
O Ali! Upon him be My glory! You have ever been remembered and still are remembered. Repeatedly have you been blessed by the Most Exalted Pen. O Ali! You have been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to send down upon you and His party from the heaven of His bounty a blessing from His presence and a grace from His side. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
We make mention of Ibn-i-Shahid, upon them both be My glory, and bid him to steadfastness. O people of God! You must manifest yourselves in such wise that no opportunity remains for the barking ones—that is, their hopes may be transformed into despair. Say: O Ali-Akbar! Fear God and follow not vain imaginings and idle fancies. This is He but for Whom the Books of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, would not have been revealed. Through Him was every Messenger sent and every Book revealed. The Preserved Tablet in His presence bears witness to this. Fear God and follow not the people of idle fancy. We have previously commanded you to manifest the Greater Steadfastness. With your Lord is the knowledge of all things in a perspicuous Book. Nothing escapes His knowledge. Verily, He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.
We convey greetings to the people of God and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor. We beseech Him to aid all to that which causes the exaltation of His Cause and His Word. Cast behind you all who are on earth and say: Praise be to Thee, O our God, our Goal, and our Beloved, for having made known unto us the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation, the Dayspring of Thine inspiration, and the Manifestation of Thy Self, and for having drawn us nigh unto Thee, and for having caused us to hear Thy call, and for having shown us Thine all-highest horizon, and for having given us to drink of Thy sweetest Kawthar. O Lord! We beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all names, to make us of those whom neither the allusions of the divines nor the doubts of the theologians have deterred. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH00561: Praise be to the Goal of all the worlds…
Praise be to the Goal of all the worlds, Who at all times hath caused to be revealed and made manifest from the Most Exalted Pen the mention of His loved ones and chosen ones. In these days ye have surely heard what hath befallen the Choice Wine through the tyranny of the aggressors and the calumnies of the slanderers. By the life of our Lord and the Lord of the Throne and earth! They have exchanged truth for falsehood, trustworthiness for treachery, acceptance for rejection, justice for tyranny, and fairness for oppression. Through this every fair-minded one hath lamented, the sighs of every assured one have ascended, and the tears of every seeing one have fallen. I beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist them to return unto Him, to turn in repentance at the door of His bounty, and to stand before the throne of His justice. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. And this is what was revealed for him who was named ʿIbadu’llah. His word, exalted be His glory and abundant be His favors:
O Ibadu’llah! By the life of God, the Wronged One is in manifest grief. My grief is not for My imprisonment and what hath befallen Me from Mine enemies, but from those who claim to love Me yet have wrought that which hath caused My sighs to ascend, My tears to fall, and the Tablet and the Pen to lament. The clear Book of God beareth witness unto this. We have manifested the Cause and sent down the verses, yet most of the people are heedless. Those who denied God’s proof and evidence have fallen, and violated His covenant and testament. We beseech God to assist them to return. Verily, He is the Forgiver, the Generous. The Herald hath called from every direction, yet most of the people are transgressors. Blessed art thou for having found the fragrance of revelation and recognized Him Who was mentioned in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. In the establishment of Him Who conversed on Sinai upon the throne of Revelation, and the arrival of the Glory in the prison of Akka are signs for those who are discerning.
Say: O concourse of men! Cast aside what the people possess and take My Choice Wine, sealed with My Self-Subsisting Name. Then drink thereof despite every ignorant remote one and every doubting learned one. Thus hath the light of utterance dawned from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord’s mercy, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest rejoice and be among the thankful ones.
O Hasan, son of Mirza! Behold what hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of this exalted station. Then hear what hath been raised from this Most Sublime Horizon and say: O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by the cries of those near unto Thee in their separation from Thee, and the lamentations of the sincere ones in Thy days, and by the ocean of Thy verses and the dawning-place of Thy revelation and inspiration, to strengthen me in such steadfastness as shall not be shaken by the hosts of the heedless nor the ranks of the oppressors. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant.
I desire naught but to serve Thy Cause. I beseech Thee by the lights of the dawn of Thy Manifestation not to disappoint me and Thy loved ones in what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones in Thy perspicuous verses. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward the horizon of Thy Cause and holding fast to the cord of Thy grace. Ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy holiness. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy Most Exalted Word. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Bashir-Muhammad in luminous language. Verily thy Lord doeth what He willeth, and He is the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Glory be to God! He hath believed and continueth to believe. His likeness is as one who occupieth himself with a drop while the ocean itself existeth. It is not known by what proof and testimony he hath believed in the Primal Point and, before Him, in the Prophets. By My life! He hath not recognized the fragrance of the Day of God. The Primal Point, with utmost helplessness, proclaimeth with His most exalted call:
“O people of the Bayan! On that Day be ye not veiled from Him by the Bayan and its verses, and commit not that which the people of the Furqan committed.” Today the Divine carpet is spread forth and the people of Baha are engaged in praise and glorification with utmost joy and gladness. We beseech God that He deprive not those who have turned towards Him from the waves of the ocean of mercy, and withhold them not from the lights of the Luminary of proof which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of will. Take hold of the hem of grace with the hands of supplication and say:
“Unto Thee be glory, O Lord of earth and heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, through which the backs of the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings were broken, and by Thy Command, whereby what was and what will be were subdued, to ordain for me the reward of those who heard Thy call, hastened to the door of Thy bounty, and quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the hand of Thy bestowal. Thou seest, O my God, what hath befallen Thy loved ones, Thy chosen ones, and Thy trusted ones in Thy lands. The oppressors have hamstrung Thy crimson She-camel and devoured Thy sheep, O Lord of all beings, and have committed that which hath caused justice to lament and equity to cry out. O Lord! Thou hearest the sighing of the sincere ones and beholdest what hath befallen them at the hands of the oppressors. I beseech Thee by Thy power which encompasseth all created things to protect Thy loved ones from the mischief of Thine enemies. Then guard them with the hosts of Thy justice. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom neither the power of the world nor the strength of nations can withhold. Then I beseech Thee, O my God, to forgive me and my son, and whosoever hath held fast to the cord of Thy bounty and clung to the hem of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.”
O Pen of Eternity! Make mention of him who hath been named Haydar-ʿAli, that the sweet savors of utterance may draw him unto a station wherein he shall behold naught save the sovereignty of God, His grandeur, His glory and His power. Thus have We sent down the verses and set them forth in truth, and He is the Mighty, the Commander, the Powerful.
We have verily witnessed thy devotion and heard thy call. We have summoned thee to the right hand of the Garden of Paradise that thou mayest hear and see that which the learned of the earth and its mystics have been prevented from beholding, save whom God hath willed, the Mighty, the Bountiful.
None should hesitate today regarding this momentous Announcement. It behooveth every soul, upon perceiving the divine fragrances and hearing the Call from the direction of the Throne, to say:
“Here am I, here am I, O Thou Goal of the mystics and Beloved mentioned in the hearts of the sincere!”
I beseech Thee by Thy radiant Light and Thy pervading, resplendent Cause to assist me in that which will exalt Thy Cause and the station of Thy Word. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, and I desire naught save the wonders of Thy grace. Thou art He by Whose will the Supreme Pen moved and that which was hidden and treasured in the hearts of the chosen ones was revealed. I beseech Thee by Thy Lamp which the winds have encompassed, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all names, to enable me to arise to serve Thee and to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise in such wise that neither the onslaught of hatred nor the roaring of enemies shall deter me. O my Lord! Ordain for me through Thy bounty that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and make me a champion of Thy Cause and a guardian of what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
O Isma’il! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Remember what My Herald hath uttered in remembrance of Me and of My station, saying:
“I have written a gem in His remembrance—verily He cannot be known through My allusion nor through what hath been revealed in the Bayan.”
With utmost clarity doth that Sovereign of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen declare that He cannot be known through My allusion nor through what hath been revealed in the Bayan. Time and again have We mentioned this verse and other passages that have flowed from the Pen of the Herald. Nevertheless, those who have turned away from the Bayan do at the very first instance seek to adduce proofs from the Bayan…. [two pages missing]
O Muhammad Qabl-i-ʿAli! The Supreme Pen at this moment speaks these exalted words: O people of Ta! He Who was recorded in the Books, inscribed in the Scrolls, and mentioned in the hearts, has come. We beseech God to aid Him through you and through your steadfastness. Verily, He hears and answers, and He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
These days have no likeness or similarity. Strive that perchance ye may attain to that which is the cause of the guidance of creation. Today the Path calls out and the Balance counsels all with justice and equity. Blessed are they who have attained unto hearing and act accordingly.
Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, for He hath made mention of thee in His Most Great Prison in such wise that thy mention and thy name shall endure in the Book of God, the Lord of this glorious station.
O Sadiq! Truthfulness and uprightness have ever been among the great divine attributes. Blessed are they who have clung fast thereunto. Such calumnies have reached Us as have caused the Spirit to lament and every trustworthy and truthful one to cry out. I do not complain of My grief and sorrow. I am patient in tribulation and render thanks unto God, the Lord of this wondrous Day. I have borne afflictions in His path and witnessed that which none other hath witnessed. To this testify all fair-minded ones possessed of knowledge and all the learned that are endowed with insight.
Trustworthiness, religiosity, chastity, truthfulness and purity are the distinguished garments of God, exalted be His glory. Blessed is he who adorns his temple therewith. He is indeed among the successful ones in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Powerful.
O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Muhammad-i-Qabl-i-Baqir and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the Beautiful. O Muhammad-i-Qabl-i-Baqir! Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having made known unto me the Source of Thy commandments and the Dayspring of Thy laws, Whom Thou hast established as Thy station in Thy land. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the lights of Thy Throne, and by the Scroll which none hath known save Thyself, and by the showers of the springtime of Thy grace, and by the mysteries of Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets, to make me so firm in Thy love, so steadfast and resolute that neither the oppression of the idolaters, nor the clamor of the heedless, nor the onslaught of those who have disbelieved in the Day of Judgment may move me.
O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I acknowledge my heedlessness and hesitation in Thy days. I beseech Thee to enable me to make good what hath escaped me, then ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen the recompense of one who hath quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the hand of Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH00582: My spirit be a sacrifice for Thy love!…
He is God, exalted be His glory in greatness and power!
My spirit be a sacrifice for Thy love! The noble and exalted letter, which was a treasury of fragrant meanings and the dawning-place of sufficient and healing utterance, illumined the eyes of this evanescent servant and enlightened the heart. Indeed, boundless joy was experienced, for its outward expressions were sweet and its inner meaning indicated faithfulness and firm establishment in the Cause of the Beloved of the worlds. Praise be to God that at all times the breezes of the mention of the Desired One of all things waft from thy heart, tongue and pen in constant succession, appearance and manifestation. Well is it with thee and with us! That which thou hadst written concerning the distribution of verses and their dispatch to the known place is understood. Thou hast not shown, nor dost thou show, any laxity in service to the Cause, but rather carriest it out to the extent of thy capacity, nay beyond that. Again, well is it with thee and pleasant it is for us!
As for what thou hadst written about the person who came from Europe and who had inquired about the nature of the claim, the laws, and the primary purpose of this community, it was presented at the Throne. He—exalted be His glory—saith:
O physician! The laws were indeed revealed in those days, but We did not send them forth, in Our wisdom, nor is it permissible that he whom thou hast mentioned in thy letter should be apprised of them. We verily see the days in travail. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. When the time cometh, We shall send them forth in truth as a grace from Us to all the worlds.
And as for what he asked thee about the foundation of the Cause, say: Thou wouldst not hear from me even if thou hadst an attentive ear. Turn with it to the rock and thou wilt hear from it in the loudest cry: “By God! That which was hidden in the treasuries of inviolability and power and in the repositories of might and mysteries hath appeared with such sovereignty as cannot be hindered by the veils of the evil ones nor by the imaginings of the heedless!” Then turn to the thickets and thou wilt hear from them: “The All-Possessing, the Most High hath come!” Then hasten to the mountain peaks and they will say: “The Lord of all creation hath come!”
Thus do all things speak, if thou be of them that hear. Hast thou not heard that the Spirit said that if these were to hold their peace, the very stones would cry out? Thus doth He inform thee, with Whom is the Preserved Tablet. Dost thou inquire about the sun after its appearance at high noon, and seek after Him Whom the very essence of understanding is ashamed to be associated with? Wipe thine eyes with the fingers of submission, then look, and thou wilt see Him at the center of possibility, speaking in the name of God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Say: This is He Who was promised to you in all the Tablets of God, and of Whom Isaiah informed you. Return thy gaze to the Torah and the Gospel that thou mayest know the decree of this Day and detach thyself from what thou hast, turning to the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
This is not the day of questioning. The Beginning hath appeared in the End with the sovereignty of grandeur and majesty, calling all to the Dawning-Place of the evidences of your Lord, the Powerful, the Most High, the Mighty, the Great. Beware lest thou be of those who awaited the days of the Messiah, but when He came with the truth, they pronounced His death sentence and were of the most lost. The Dove, beneath the talons of the enemies, calleth out at the highest pitch in such wise that the hosts of heedlessness cannot frighten It, nor can what hath befallen It from the wrongdoers prevent It. Reflect thou upon It and what hath befallen It from the people of hatred, and what It uttereth in the heaven of creation, that thou mayest leave creation behind thee, turning to the Dayspring of lights, and say: “I believe in God, O Thou Who art imprisoned and estranged!”
O physician! The mention of such remembrances is not permissible today. It must have been evident to you that the Supreme Pen has not yet moved according to its own motion, for it has ever been mindful of people’s weakness and the need to be gentle with them. Nevertheless, observe how great is that which hath been sent down from His presence, and what lieth concealed in the heaven of thy Lord’s will. Yet these unjust people, despite these manifest proofs, sacred conditions, firm manifestations, clear signs, and all-encompassing evidences, are still intoxicated. The vain imaginings of people have been forbidden from the Most Exalted Horizon, and the person mentioned was not truthful. His purpose was merely to send news, for European travelers are greatly desirous of new information to boast about in their own lands. Indeed, there are groups specifically assigned to travel to various regions and send back new reports—this was his intention. In any case, give him no document, for he will publicize it in that very land. In truth, this response that was revealed was out of kindness to you, not specifically for the inquirer. End.
This servant submits that one of the leaders of this group, who is very well-known, sent a petition to the Most Holy Court, and a specific response was revealed for him, a copy of which was sent. If deemed advisable, you may show it to him, but interpretation is not permitted—let him understand whatever he will. Be very vigilant regarding the Cause, for protecting the Cause is today more necessary than all else. For many times such persons have come specifically to investigate, having no purpose except to discover what is hidden and then object to it after gaining knowledge. In all circumstances be watchful, for the malevolent ones have been and are engaged in sedition. In all conditions, keep your eyes on wisdom. He is our Protector and your Protector in this world and the next. There is no God but He, the Forgiving, the Generous.
As for what you wrote concerning your brother, upon him be the Glory of God, this is what was revealed for him from the heaven of grace and favor:
“O physician! The mention of thy brother hath been made before the Throne…”
to the end of His mighty and exalted Words.
Regarding what you wrote about the land of Kerman, God willing, a specific Tablet will be sent for the person mentioned. However, it is incumbent upon the loved ones in that land and elsewhere to strive themselves in such matters. In one instance, these exalted words were revealed from the heaven of will:
“The loved ones must move like the arteries in the body of the world. They must not remain deprived from serving the Cause for a moment, nor be heedless of any of its members.”
We beseech God to give all to drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness in such wise that the winds of the doubts of the ungodly may not move them, and to purify the earth from the defilement of those who have denied God and followed every ignorant rabble. They are indeed the most lost of all creatures before God, the Most High, the Great.
Concerning what you wrote about constantly instructing the companions not to admit strangers or inform them of matters, yet they neither listened nor listen—you are right, for firm decrees have repeatedly been revealed from the Source of the Cause regarding this matter. Nevertheless, some of the loved ones have not heeded and have been deceived by the ignorant. We beseech God to aid them to follow that which they have been commanded.
As to what was written about the wife of Aqa Muhammad, what his honor has done is certainly meritorious and appropriate. The Book of Laws was revealed in the language of verses in this land, and likewise some were revealed in Persian in the Land of Mystery. However, permission for their dissemination has not yet dawned. Since mention of the aforementioned wife was made twice in his honor’s letter, this servant presented it at the Most Holy Court, and afterwards extracted and sent those verses concerning marriage from the Book of Laws. God willing, they will reach their destination, otherwise the laws are available. In any case, this is the decree as has been revealed in detail from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will. Blessed are they who act upon them.
Since it was arranged that whatever is mentioned should be responded to point by point in its entirety, it is therefore submitted that his honor’s letter dated the 10th of the month of fasting was received. The petition of Sassoon and mention of Khudadad and other letters and their contents were all presented before the Throne. This is what was revealed for Sassoon and Khudadad from the Lord of Creation:
“Blessed are they for having attained unto that which they were commanded in the Tablets of God…”
As to what was written in the previous and subsequent letters that news had arrived of the Ancient Beauty’s intention to proceed to Iran—yes, this matter is essentially correct. Several consultative meetings were held and such was their intention. This news caused alarm among the clergy, but they soar on the wings of their own desires and are occupied with their conjectures. The Command is in God’s hands—He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. In any case, this news has spread widely in Iran itself, reports have come from all directions mentioning this matter, and someone specifically came and gave details. If the incident of Badi’ (upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God) had not occurred and they had intended it, the Ancient Beauty would certainly have proceeded, for He explicitly stated so in that Tablet. However, after this incident the matter appears difficult—the Command is in God’s hands. We shall see what God wills and what He ordains.
Furthermore, the petition of his honor Mustafa (upon him be the Glory of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Most Glorious) which contained mention of the loved ones of God and verses of Master ʿAbu’l-Hasan was presented at the Most Holy Court and was accepted. They said its reply would be sent after the second news.
They said to convey to all wondrous, sublime, most wondrous and most glorious greetings from the True One. Soon We shall send down for them from the heaven of Will that which their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling, hath desired.
BH00577: Praise be to God, Who in this Day hath…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Lord of majesty and might.
Praise be to God, Who in this Day hath lifted the veil of concealment from the face of meanings, and in Whose advent the secret of the “twofold utterance” hath been disclosed. We praise Him with such praise as shall illumine the dawning-places of hearts, and make them ready for the shining of the lights of the countenance of the Well-Beloved.
He it is Who hath kindled, amid the darkness of idle fancies, the lamp of the knowledge of His beauteous, all-knowing Face, and Who, in the wilderness of heedlessness and error, hath made manifest the paths of approach and guidance. He hath commanded the people of knowledge and understanding to unveil the veils of the followers of the religions, and hath spoken with utmost clarity in expounding the realities of the verses, in such wise that the light hath encompassed all directions, and the effulgences of the Sun of everlasting life have prevailed over all who are in heaven and on earth.
Exalted, exalted is His great bounty in this blessed Day! Glorified, glorified is His firm and mighty Cause in this radiant morn! The minds can never apprehend the essence of His Cause, nor can they attain unto the knowledge of its reality. Even as we hold His very Essence sanctified above knowing and describing, so too is His Cause exalted above being compassed by understanding or comprehension. How shall the thoughts of men reach unto the court of the knowledge of Him? He hath said—and His word is truth—“Vision comprehendeth Him not.”
Glorified art Thou, O my God, Thou Who hast manifested Thy mighty Cause, sent down Thy perspicuous Book, and commanded Thy servants by that which Thou didst reveal therein of Thine irrevocable and most firm decree! How can I remember and praise Thee, when I know with certitude that Thou canst not be described by words, nor known by the essences of minds and thoughts? And how can I keep silence in this station, when I am well aware that the tongue hath been created for remembrance and utterance, to celebrate the subtleties of Thy praise, O Lord of the realm of being and King of all contingent things?
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the blood of the martyrs shed in Thy path, by the burning of the hearts of Thy loved ones when the winds of trials and tribulations blew in Thy love, by their steadfastness in Thy Cause, their severance unto Thee, and their lowliness before Thee, to strengthen me in that for which Thou didst create my tongue, and to enable me to perform that which Thou hast bidden me—that I may call upon Thee in the nights and at the break of dawn, commune with Thee at the extremities of the day, describe Thee with the highest of praises, extol Thee in terms above the reach of minds and thoughts, and glorify Thee with such glorification as shall cause the breasts of Thy tried and faithful ones to dilate.
O my God, my Lord, my Hope! I praise Thee for that which Thou hast bestowed upon Thy bond-slaves in this Most Great Manifestation. Thou didst assist them to turn and to accept; Thou didst aid them to direct themselves and to attain—after they had been secluded in the corners of remoteness and abasement. Thou didst clothe them in the vesture of nearness and reunion—after they had wandered in the deserts of estrangement and separation. Thou didst lead them to the cool waters of guidance—after they had strayed in the wastes of heedlessness and error. Thou didst single them out for the subtleties of Thy favours, and didst adorn them with the robes of Thy bounty and loving-kindness.
This is naught but the outpouring of Thine abounding grace and Thy mighty loving-kindness; otherwise, where would capacity and acceptance be found? None attaineth save by Thy power and Thy might.
Glorified art Thou and exalted! Thou hast created, provided, honoured, and enriched. There is no hindrance to Thy bounty, no repeller of Thy decree, no limit to Thy generosity. Even as Thy very Essence is exalted above beginnings and endings, so too is Thy act hallowed above firstness and finality. Whatsoever is attributed unto Thee or proceedeth from Thee is sanctified, even as Thyself, above the knowledge of Thy creatures and the comprehension of Thy servants.
The very quintessence of oneness and knowledge is this: that Thou canst not be known by minds nor commemorated by tongues. The loftiest of praises can but recount the marvellous effects of Thy handiwork. The description of the possible world must revert to what it perceiveth in the realm of contingency, and the praise of the creature be limited to the wonders of Thy creation and the evidences of Thy Cause and Thy power.
O Thou Revealer of the religions! This is a boundary beyond which no soul can pass; no rank in knowledge hast Thou ordained for us higher than this. If Thou deign to accept our remembrance, Thou art the Best of those who are remembered; and if Thou accept it not, still art Thou the Best of those who are praised and thanked. Thy acceptance of the remembrance of Thy servants is but a pure favour from Thee, O Lord of the Day of Calling; and Thy non-acceptance is naught but the consequence of lack of capacity and the deficiency of existence when brought before the court of Thy majesty.
O Lord of the unseen and the seen! Since Thou hast commanded me to remember and praise Thee, I heed it not and mention Thee amidst the peoples. I entreat Thee to protect Thy loved ones beneath the shade of Thy guardianship and Thy care, to adorn them with the lights of the Sun of Thy tenderness among Thy creatures, and to grant them supreme steadfastness upon the path of Thy love. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful; there is no God but Thee, the Giver, the Bestower, the All-Loving, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.
O thou who art enkindled with the fire of His love, who speakest as did the Burning Bush, and takest thy portion from the lights of the Lamp of this Manifestation in this hallowed, far-famed Day! The breaths of the musk of affection have been diffused from the traces thy pen hath inscribed, and the breasts of the people of unity have been cheered by inhaling that fragrance.
Well is it with thee, thou who hast attained unto the position of the favour of thy Lord, and dwellest beneath the shadow of the care of Him unto Whom is thine ultimate return and abiding place. It behoveth thee to soar with the wings of joy and gladness, and to rise, with the pinions of delight and exultation, in the firmament of the bounty of thy Lord, the Ordainer of reunion and communion.
By thy life, O beloved! I marvel at what floweth from thy pen—mention of griefs and sorrows in this Day whereon the world hath been set in motion by the outpourings of the favours of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Such bounty hath appeared as the tongue of remembrance is powerless to set forth, and the pen of thanksgiving is unable to record.
I beseech God, exalted be He, to strengthen thee at all times in the fulfilment of gratitude and thankfulness with a joy such as the tongues of the dwellers on earth are powerless to describe, and to enable thee to write letters in such wise that no breath of sorrow wafteth therefrom. For if joy and gladness be not made manifest in this blessed Day, at what time shall the goblets of rejoicing be quaffed, and when shall we arise, in gladness and delight, to make mention of the Cleaver of the dawn, thy Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Forgiving?
This verily is the Day of gladness. Blessed is he who rejoiceth in what it proffereth of the bounty of God, the Lord of existence and the King of the unseen and the seen. And happy is he who clotheth himself in the garment of joy in the days of his Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Loving.
O thou beloved one! When thy letter arrived, I laid it before the countenance of thy Lord; and this is what hath shone forth from the horizon of His exalted utterance. Exalted be His grace:
He is God, exalted be His glory, the All-Wise, the All-Eloquent
O Jamal! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Thou hast repeatedly recalled that which hath already been mentioned. Verses have been sent down; clear proofs have been made manifest; the light of favour shineth from the horizon of bounty, and the radiance of grace is gleaming forth.
Glorified be God! The sun of certitude hath risen from the loftiest horizon of the world, and the dove of utterance singeth upon the highest branch; yet, for all this, a people are busied with calumnies and engage in lying words. Falsehood was condemned aforetime; nevertheless that which is more grievous hath now been wrought by that veiled soul, Dawlatabadi, devoid of fairness, who hath turned away from the sweet, reviving waters of the Euphrates unto the foulness of corruption, and from the revealed verses unto vain slanders. Without awareness, he hath done that very thing which the people of a former dispensation had done: at every moment a new discord is made manifest and a new outcry raised.
For years the party of the former religion besought God—exalted be His glory—for the appearance of His Manifestation. But when the gates of encounter were flung open, ye beheld what they did and what they said. In truth, the pen and tongue are ashamed to recount it. And now this heedless man, Dawlatabadi, moved by idle fancies, raiseth his voice and speaketh, and hath once more plunged these ignorant souls into the same slanders of the past, causing them to be assailed anew by those calumnies. It is unknown by what proof he professeth faith in the First Point, or on what basis he turneth away from the path of God.
Such heedless souls are not worthy of mention. From God do We implore that He may confirm His friends in whatsoever will exalt the blessed Word.
We entreat God to open before thy face, and before the faces of such as love thee for the sake of God, the gates of grace, prosperity, bounty and bestowal. Verily, He is the Lord of names, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Say: O my God, my God! Thou beholdest me standing at the door of Thy bounty, imploring the marvellous tokens of Thy grace and favour. I beseech Thee by that command wherewith Thou didst send down the Table from heaven upon Thy servants, and cause the rains of Thy mercy to pour upon Thy creatures, to send down, from the cloud of Thy munificence, upon this Thy servant, a favour from Thy presence, a blessing from beside Thee, and a mercy from Thy side. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Convey, on My behalf, the cry of “God is Most Great” unto him who is called Husayn, who came and attained, at the time when this Wronged One was in the Most Great Prison, by reason of what the hands of the heedless had wrought; and unto My loved ones, who have not broken My Covenant and My Testament.
We make mention also of thine household in this station, and announce to her My special care and My great bounty. This, touching her, is that the hands of the divine Will have aided and succoured her and enabled her to attain unto the Encounter. Upon thee, upon her, and upon him whose name is Habb’u’llah, it behoveth you all to give thanks unto your Lord night and day. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
As for Jinab-i-Ibn-ʿAttar and Jinab-i-Buzurg, upon them be My glory and My grace; they circle, by permission, about the Throne these days. Blessed are they! We beseech God to confirm them in steadfastness in this mighty Cause.
The light of glory that hath shone from the heaven of My utterance be upon thee and upon such as hearken unto thy words in this Most Great Cause, at whose revelation the limbs of the nations have trembled. Verily, thy Lord is He Who speaketh, remembereth, expoundeth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Thy second letter hath likewise been received and perused, and also a third; but the straitness of time hath occasioned some delay in reply. Our hope is that thou mayest ever remain dwelling and guarded beneath the shade of the protection of God, and that each day thou mayest be adorned with the robe of special favour and nourished by the bounty of grace.
Convey, on My behalf, a wondrous, exalted glorification unto Jinab-i-Habb’u’llah and the members of his household, and announce to them the glad-tidings of the loving care of the Well-Beloved—exalted be His glory.
The spirit, the glory and the praise rest upon thee and upon all who love thee for the sake of God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH00584: O Ism-i-Jud! The letter which [person’s name] had written…
O Ism-i-Jud! The letter which [person’s name] had written to you—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness—was presented at the Most Holy Court. Among its contents was mention of Mirza Habibullah, who was guided to the Most Exalted Horizon through the guidance of a Name of Beauty and attained unto the straight path. Convey to him greetings from the Wronged One and gladden him with the fragrances of the garment of utterance wafting from the City of the All-Merciful, that he may perceive the sweet scents of My grace and the fragrant breezes from the garden of My luminous and resplendent Revelation. Say: Be not grieved at separation, for He ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of them that have attained unto the ocean of reunion through His leave, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
Today all souls must regard themselves as between the fingers of the All-Merciful and move according to whatsoever He willeth. They must consider their own movement, will and desire as non-existent. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this most exalted station. Whosoever attaineth unto this lofty station in this Day is accounted among the people of Baha in the Tablet of eternity recorded by the Most Exalted Pen. Were this station to be unveiled and made manifest to the peoples of the earth, all would be seen circling round the Word of God. God speaketh the truth and guideth whom He willeth to His straight path.
Rejoice, O Habib, in My remembrance of thee, then be content with whatsoever hath been ordained by the Just, the All-Wise. God hath loved and continueth to love His loved ones, but the decree of prohibition hath been and will continue to be based on wisdom. Verily He seeth, He informeth, He heareth and He judgeth. He is, in truth, the Judge, the All-Informed.
O Ism-i-Jud! Among the contents was mention of [initials] F and R in the letter of [person’s name]—upon him be My loving-kindness and mercy. We make mention of him in truth as a token of Our grace, that joy may so take possession of him that he may soar on the wings of certitude in the atmosphere of the love of the All-Merciful in the innermost mystery, that none may hear the sound of his wings. Thy Lord, verily, is the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
God willing, may they soar with utmost joy and delight in the atmosphere of the love of the All-Merciful and be mindful of wisdom. For should the antagonists and unbelievers, whom the intoxication of pride hath debarred from the fragrances of these days, hear the sound of the wings of them that circle in the atmosphere of the love of the Lord of the worlds, clamor would arise and the clamorer would appear with a hundred thousand wiles.
In Iraq, a passage was revealed to one of the friends, namely Haji Mirza Musa—upon him be My mercy and loving-kindness—the purport of which is this: If thou drinkest the oceans of joy in divine love and knowledge, let no trace of moisture appear on thy lips, for people have not comprehended and will never comprehend exalted stations in one step. Therefore must the loved ones of God manifest wisdom and engage in quickening souls according to measure. Wisdom is, in all conditions, among the greatest of divine commandments in the Book. Blessed is he who holdeth fast unto it and acteth according to that which hath been ordained by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Ali! By My life! Faryab perished in longing for these days and attained not unto thy station. O Ali! Hearken with the ear of thy heart unto the divine words and beseech God that thou mayest find their sweetness. Through one “Say” the whole world would find utterance and be adorned with the ornament of expression, while through another “Say” the most great silence would be made manifest, meaning it would never attain unto the exalted station of utterance. Hearken thou unto My call, then act according to what We have revealed in the Qur’an. Say: “God” then leave them to their vain disputes. Praise be to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
O Samandari! Convey My greetings to him and say: All praise be to Thee, O my God and my Beloved, my Lord and my King! I praise Thee, acclaim Thee, glorify Thee, sanctify Thee, magnify Thee and exalt Thee by the perpetuity of Thine Essence, Thy Being, Thy Kingdom, Thy Dominion and Thy Names, for having awakened me by the traces of Thy footsteps as Thou didst walk in Thy domains. When I awoke and arose, Thou didst meet me, make me know Thee, deliver me, and guide me through Thy bounty and generosity—though I deserved it not—to this station for whose separation the near ones lament, O my Lord, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
Strive thou to be mentioned by the name of Truth in all the worlds. Hold fast unto virtuous conduct and cleave unto that whereby the attributes of thy Lord, the Most Holy, the Mighty, the Wondrous, may be elevated. By My life! Those souls who have succeeded in achieving goodly deeds and praiseworthy character have been and shall ever be the helpers of God. Blessed are they who have attained!
Thou didst seek permission to attain My presence. My love desireth to grant permission, but My wisdom preventeth it by My binding and wise decree. The glory of God rest upon thee, O Jud, and upon Samandari and his brother, and upon those who have shown forth the Greater Steadfastness in this mighty Cause.
O Samandari! A letter addressing the Most Holy Court mentioning Abd and Jud—upon them be My glory—was sent by Haji Nasir, upon him be God’s loving-kindness. The entire letter was presented at the Most Holy Court and was honored with acceptance. O Nasir! By the life of God, thou hast spoken the truth, and the Truth hath heard thy call and confirmed what thou hast manifested in His blessed, mighty and wondrous love. What thou didst write hath attained unto God’s testimony. The hand of grace hath taken thee and delivered thee by the power from thy Lord. He is verily the Almighty, the Powerful. Thy letter touched the hearts of the loved ones, and its influence reached such a degree that the Supreme Pen makes mention of it. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the Witness, the Hearer, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. Thou hast attained unto My imprisonment, My presence, My meeting, and My gracious mention.
In truth, no one hath been or shall ever be capable of offering praise, thanksgiving and glorification to God as befitteth His station. How many among the learned who considered themselves as oceans of knowledge and counted themselves among the heaven of wisdom have today failed to attain unto a single drop of the most pure wine or to comprehend a single word of divine knowledge. Although in every heavenly Book they were promised the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai, the cleaving of heaven, the raising of the cry, the establishment of the path and the balance, the gathering together of all things, and the seating of God, exalted be His glory, upon the throne of oneness and His manifestation upon the seat of singleness, yet when the Sun of Knowledge shone forth and the lights of the dawn of utterance appeared, they were found in such a state of heedlessness and ignorance that they could not be likened to or compared with any creature.
However, through divine grace and mercy, thou hast drunk from the ocean of recognition and partaken of the most pure wine, and hast attained unto the knowledge of the Lord of Destiny. His is the praise and the glory, His the greatness and the majesty, His the thanks and the splendor, His the loftiness and the exaltation, His the bounty and the favors. The grace is in His hand—He singles out whom He willeth from among His servants. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
In the previous year several Tablets were revealed especially for certain loved ones of God who dwell in those regions, but until now their dispatch was delayed due to wisdom. And now in the name of Jud, upon him be my Glory, We have commanded that they be sent gradually. Some of those Tablets were revealed in response to petitions, and some were not. God willing, may all those souls attain unto this supreme bounty and this most great mercy. And specifically for two well-known individuals, two Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were revealed and God willing will be sent. Verily We give them glad tidings of what God hath ordained for them. Blessed are they and their tongues. God shall soon make manifest what they have done in His path. He verily is the Announcer of Glad-tidings, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O Nasir! Thou didst send a gift and present a detailed account. Be thou grateful that We accepted it as a token of Our grace. The first attained acceptance and the second was honored with the confirmation of thy Lord, the Giver, the Mighty, the Great. The Glory be upon thee and thy two sons. We beseech God to assist them to serve thee and to please thee, and to make known to them thy station and rank. He verily is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O My Tongue in the heaven of My utterance! Make mention of My servant who was named Javad in the Kingdom of creation, and give him glad tidings of My grace, My loving-kindness and My mercy that have preceded all created things.
O Ism-i-Jud! The matters of Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be the Glory of God, were mentioned in the Most Holy Court, and specifically for the souls mentioned, exalted Tablets were revealed and sent. God willing, may they attain unto them and drink therefrom the water of everlasting life. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon him and upon those who have believed in God, the Single One, the All-Informed.
And We make mention of the Nightingale who warbled and sang upon the branches of the Tree of Praise in the name of the Lord of Names. Blessed is he and blessed is she who spoke in praise of her Lord. That which he and she composed was presented before the Throne, and that which they both composed was recited by the servant in attendance before the Face, and attained the hearing of God, the Single One, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Wise. He shall surely reward them both out of His grace. He verily is the Giver, the Mighty, the Generous.
And regarding the journey of Jinab-i-Nabil-ibn-i-Nabil, upon them both be the Glory of God, in these days delay is preferable. Thus doth command him the Wronged One from His exalted station. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon the faces of My servants in those regions who have fulfilled My Covenant, held fast unto My Testament, have arisen to serve Me, and have drunk the choice wine of assurance from the hand of My bounty. By the life of God! They are the ones who have turned unto God and they are the sincere ones. Soon shall their stations be made manifest from the presence of the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.